


Buried Sins

by augustblues



Category: Phineas and Ferb
Genre: F/M, Phineas and Ferb References, i highly suggest u don't read it, if you're easily upset, it incorporates sensitive and distressing stuff!, just know that i warned u!, or do lol, this is a dark & twisted story!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:34:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 28,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24509989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/augustblues/pseuds/augustblues
Summary: (Major Character Deaths) Riddled with survivor's guilt after a tragic accident at the local fair, Ferb, Isabella, and Buford attempt to continue on with their lives. But just how do you move forward when you’re being haunted by your past? What do you do when they’re determined to make you join them six feet underneath?
Relationships: Baljeet Tjinder & Buford van Stomm, Candace Flynn & Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, Ferb Fletcher & Buford van Stomm, Ferb Fletcher & Candace Flynn, Ferb Fletcher & Candace Flynn & Phineas Flynn, Ferb Fletcher & Lawrence Fletcher, Ferb Fletcher & Phineas Flynn, Ferb Fletcher/Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, Fireside Girls & Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, Isabella Garcia-Shapiro & Baljeet Tjinder, Isabella Garcia-Shapiro & Buford van Stomm, Isabella Garcia-Shapiro & Ginger Hirano, Lawrence Fletcher/Linda Flynn-Fletcher, Phineas Flynn & Baljeet Tjinder, Phineas Flynn & Buford van Stomm
Comments: 18
Kudos: 21





	1. Roller Coaster

“Be home before 10 PM!” Linda called from inside the house as five teenagers exited the Flynn-Fletchers residence.

“Alright, Mom! We’ll see you in a bit.” Phineas answered with a smile before he and the others boarded Ferb’s car.

They were on their way to the local fair to ease their minds off the new chapter that loomed above their heads: senior year. Tomorrow was officially the last day of summer so they were trying to squeeze in as much as possible in the two days they had left before they go back to school.

Everyone felt reluctant about going back this year. Well, almost everyone. Baljeet was ecstatic about beginning their last year of high school. He only had one more year in a place he deemed too easy for him and after that, it was on to the stuff he had been itching to learn ever since he was a freshman. Phineas and the others felt some excitement to a certain degree but the idea that they were all growing up at a fast rate has become a little difficult to digest.

Their conversations in the car consisted of jokes and stories of their past adventures this summer. They shared a laugh on some funny moments and sighed on the bittersweet ones.

“I can’t believe summer’s almost over and we have to go back to school soon.” Phineas sighed.

Isabella and Buford groaned in agreement but Baljeet just smiled enthusiastically.

“Don’t get me wrong, I think school can be fun! It’s just that the homework and other activities limit us from carpe diem-ing.” Phineas continued.

Ferb chuckled. He gave Phineas a look that said: _nice word choice_. Phineas gave his brother a playful shove and rolled his eyes.

“If only we were living in a perfect world. No work, just fun. Wouldn’t it be cool if we could just stay at this exact moment forever?” Phineas exclaimed.

“I guess it could be fun. I think a break from the exhausting work that is designing my future is long overdue.” Baljeet said.

“I agree with Baljeet. Some form of escapism sounds so tempting when you’re drowning in an ocean academic and parental pressure.” Isabella added.

“I don’t know about you los— guys, but I don’t really care about what my future holds. We’re still living in the present and dealing with present problems, why should we worry about the future and its problems?” Buford said nonchalantly. “But yeah a break sounds fabulous.”

The gang laughed. Not even weirded out by Buford’s hesitation of saying “losers”. It’s been like that ever since a young boy, suspected a victim of bullying, committed suicide in their freshman year. It shook the whole school to its very core and it seemed to have shaken Buford up to the point of altering a few words when addressing somebody and refusing to do certain actions he so enjoyed doing when he was younger. This, of course, was a massive relief to Baljeet. He no longer had to fear being stuffed in a locker or receiving a surprise wedgie from the bully.

Eyes still focused on the road, Ferb smiled in agreement with everyone. He too wanted to take a break for a while and not worry about the time missed while his brain rested.

“I just wish summer could last forever.” Phineas sighed. Suddenly, he beamed. The child-like innocence that never left him bubbled inside.“Hey Ferb, tomorrow we should build a machine that will prolong the last day of summer! You know, so we can have more time to rest and to do things that we enjoy.” Phineas exclaimed.

“Already designing a blueprint in my head,” Ferb said with a smirk.

* * *

They arrived and Buford was already shaking in excitement. Screams of delight went over their heads as they passed by the side of the fair with the scarier rides. Wasting no more time, they bought tickets and started going on rides. It’s been decided that the order they will follow is the lamest ride first to scariest ride last to properly end the day with a ”bang”—a term Buford insisted on lovingly.

In between transitions of getting off a ride and going to the next one, Isabella would pull out her polaroid camera and snap moments from the fair. Most of the pictures she managed to get so far were cute candids of the boys having the time of their lives. Ferb noticed her pointing her camera at him and took her by surprise when he struck a pose and smiled.

“Oh Ferb that was precious!” Isabella giggled as she waited for the camera to emit the polaroid. “I hope you don’t mind if I keep that.”

“Oh no, not at all. Just don’t use it to cast a spell on me whenever I annoy you.” Ferb smirked.

“Aw. Guess now I have to scrap that plan and throw out my cauldron. Have any more suggestions?” Isabella asked impishly.

“Frame it and set it on your nightstand,” Ferb replied with a teasing look in his dark blue eyes. Isabella giggled and punched him lightly on his arm.

He stared at her for a few seconds and then made a _give me_ gesture with his hand. Initially, Isabella tried to protest but Ferb’s unfaltering gaze made her give in. She pouted and surrendered the camera to his hand. Ferb chuckled and brushed a few strands of hair off of Isabella’s face and faced the camera at her. As Isabella smiled sweetly at the lens, Ferb thought of an idea.

“Remember the time Buford and I accidentally fell into a lake tog—“ Ferb didn’t even get the chance to finish his sentence as Isabella immediately broke into laughter. He smiled to himself and quickly pressed the shutter button.

“Hm. That’s a keeper.” Ferb uttered as he waited for the camera to produce the polaroid.

Isabella, who was still recovering from her fit of laughter, felt heat rise to her cheeks. Surely, he meant the photo he took right?

“Hey! you guys coming or what?” Phineas called to both of them, waving tickets in the air. They looked at each other and composed themselves before joining the rest to continue with their day.

* * *

They followed the order they established until they reached the last ride on their list: The Roller Coaster. They weren’t afraid of roller coasters, they’ve been on one multiple time. The ride being a new addition to their local fair was the reason they held this off to the very end. The probability of it still being unstable gave it the fear factor it needed.

Something deep within Ferb told him to convince the others not to go on it but when he saw the smiles and looks everyone shot each other, he knew the attempt would be futile.

Isabella suggested a group picture before going on the ride. She took out her polaroid camera and asked a nearby person to snap a picture of them. During this time frame, Ferb’s intuition continued to tear at him until every fiber of his being made the cacophony blend into one to deliver a single message: TURN BACK NOW. He shook the thoughts off his head and did his best to calm himself before he gave himself a panic attack.

After having their group picture taken, they hurriedly boarded the roller coaster with Ferb sitting in the front seat by himself, Phineas and Isabella in the second seat and Buford and Baljeet in the third. The moment their ride moved their hearts accelerated with adrenaline. Everything was going smoothly at first except for those little shudders the ride was having sporadically.

When the shudders became frequent and their intervals shortened, they immediately became concerned as panic slowly settled in their nerves. Every roller coaster they’ve been on had these shudders, right? And this type of interval? When they were approaching another loop that’s when the ride completely broke. Bolts and sparks flew off the rails and served as a contrast to the scenic view of the sunset plastered on the sky.

“Ferb!”

Ferb immediately spun around to the sound of his brother’s panicked voice. He saw that the restraint keeping him and Isabella locked onto the ride was disassembling at an alarming rate. He loosened his restraint a bit and turned to help his brother and his friend. If he only had a few more minutes he could’ve fixed it. But halfway through desperately re-securing it, the restraint completely tore off right before Ferb’s hands.

Phineas and Isabella were almost hurled backwards but Ferb’s quick reflexes saved them both by individually grabbing each of their arms in time. He strained every muscle to keep them and himself from flying off the ride.

When Isabella looked back to Buford and Baljeet, she saw that they were in a similar state as them but it was Baljeet who was holding on to Buford for dear life. Ferb’s grunting snapped her attention back to her and Phineas. It occurred to both of them that Ferb can’t hold them forever and he was losing strength fast.

People down below were screaming with utmost terror as they watched the horrific scene unfold right before them. Almost all of Danville’s officials were called immediately and all worked together to stop the ride and save the lives of the people in it.

Phineas’ hand was slipping from Ferb’s deathly grip. Taking in the gravity of their situation right before him, his eyes that were full of fear dissolved into sad understanding and acceptance.

“Ferb. You’re getting tired. I just wanna say thank you, okay?” Phineas said, his voice steady but laced with fright.

“What?” Ferb asked in pure confusion and desperation.

“Thank you for the adventures. You and the gang made my seventeen years of life exciting. I couldn’t have asked for a better life.” Phineas continued.

Isabella was trying her best to push down the realization that violently struck her deep down her gut. The very action paired with their state right now made her nauseous.

“I love you, Ferb. I’m so glad I got to be your brother. Tell Mom, Dad, and Candace that I’m sorry and that I love them, okay Ferb?” Phineas said.

“You will tell them that yourself! Just hold on Phineas!” Ferb’s voice betrayed him by breaking as the same violent realization struck him as well.

He held onto Phineas and Isabella even tighter but when the ride gave another shudder, Phineas completely slipped off of Ferb’s grasp.

He accidentally hit Baljeet on his way causing the Indian teenager to lose his grip on Buford. Both of them plummeted down and all Ferb remembered was Buford and Isabella screaming and wailing their lungs off. All of Ferb’s physical senses dulled and his brain seemed to have experienced a total shutdown. He was unable to feel anything at that moment

He gathered every last bit of strength he had left and pulled Isabella up to his seat.

* * *


	2. Funeral

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooo! I’m gonna try to update three times a week starting this coming monday (yikess wish me luck) hopefully online school won’t get much in the way. Anyways, here’s chapter 2!

Ferb stood in his room, staring at his reflection on the mirror. His green hair was neatly done and his black suit perfectly fitted him. He almost looked like his usual presentable self but his sunken eyes and somber demeanor shifted things out of place. It’s been three weeks since the tragedy at the fair happened and he was still yet to process all of it. The shock and trauma blocked all of his emotions and left him with insomnia. Sometimes he would get too desperate to feel something again he would resort to methods his parents would definitely not approve of. One emotion was beginning to crawl up his head though. _Guilt._

No one in Danville took the untimely deaths of Phineas Flynn and Baljeet Tjinder well. The whole city fell into a despondency that some establishments closed for a few days to grieve the loss of some of the brightest minds in their community. Baljeet’s body was transported back to India to be mourned by his entire family and friends. Baljeet’s American friends were pained to learn about this but continued to support the Tjinder family and sent roses to their household before they flew to India. 

The Flynn-Fletcher family crumbled down. Linda was completely devastated when she heard about what happened to her son. Candace came home from university almost immediately when the news reached her. Their curtains were closed for days and no signs of life were evident except for the loud wails emanating from the inside. Lawrence was the one who was going outside to retrieve things necessary to keep the family functioning such as groceries but people could also tell the physical toll Phineas’ death had on him. 

Linda made it clear to Ferb that she did not blame him in the slightest. She emphasized that what happened had been an unfortunate accident and he should never hesitate to come to her or her father to talk. Candace was a different story, however. Ever since she found out in full detail what happened through Isabella, she grew distant towards Ferb. A small part of her told her she was acting completely irrational and unfair but the other part that was furious with Ferb for failing to save Phineas drowned out her logical side. How come could he do anything perfectly except for saving the life of the person who made such an impact on both of their lives? As the weeks passed by, Candace’s resentment towards Ferb only grew. 

A knock on his door snapped Ferb back to the present. His door opened and his father entered the room that once belonged to Candace. 

“Are you ready son?” Lawrence asked, inspecting Ferb’s appearance. Ferb nodded but kept his eyes on the floor. 

Lawrence sighed. “I understand that what you and Phineas had was a brotherly bond that goes beyond time and I know this is exceedingly difficult for you. If we find the pain unbearable, I can’t even begin to imagine the kind of pain you’re dealing with right now. But you don’t have to keep this all in for yourself, Ferbian. You have us. We will all go through this together. That’s what Phineas would have wanted, right?” 

At the sound of his full name, Ferb finally met his father’s eyes. His father rarely used it and saved it for serious occasions such as this one. Lawrence reached for Ferb’s wrist and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Ferb winced and gently pried his wrist off his father’s grip. Lawrence gave his son a sad smile and laid his hand on Ferb’s shoulder, nudging him to move. 

“Come on. We don’t want to be late for your brother’s funeral.” Lawrence said. 

* * *

Phineas’ funeral was packed. There were a lot of familiar faces and some that were not. Isabella, Buford, and Ferb immediately found one another and refused to leave each other’s sides. None of them looked well—the recent vicissitude was evident on all three. 

Buford looked almost unrecognizable. The death of friends, especially Baljeet, seemed to have affected him deeply. He was the most unkempt out of the three but Isabella, being the angel that she is, tried to help Buford out by fixing his appearance the best she could. She would’ve fixed Buford’s attire five minutes tops if only she wasn’t completely engulfed in anguish. 

Isabella looked pretty decent. Her eyes donned dark bags underneath them and her cheeks were hollowed in but aside from that, she looked rather proper. Ferb helped Isabella fix Buford’s rumpled appearance. Buford gave a silent thanks and the three of them all sat by each other. 

The eulogies started and halfway through them, the trio began leaning on each other and propped up their heads to the nearest shoulder. This paired with the escalating realization that his brother and friend were never coming back was the catalyst that opened the floodgates containing every emotion that was deprived of Ferb for so long.

For the first time in weeks, his eyes stung and tears began flowing. His breathing hitched and his shoulders quivered. He tried his best to stop it but every attempt at composing himself just worsened the situation. Buford and Isabella jerked up and turned to their distraught friend in between them.

“It’s okay Ferb, it’s okay. We’re here.” Isabella whispered while rubbing Ferb’s back soothingly. Seeing her strongest friend break down like this was making her tear up as well. 

Isabella and Buford embraced Ferb tightly in an attempt to comfort him and to also find comfort in each other’s presence. The action finally made the teenage Brit erupt into quiet sobs. The hearts of the people broke at the sight of the trio crying. Danville never saw Ferb Fletcher cry—let alone sob in public. The image of the helpless teen breaking down right before them filled them all up with a new type of sadness. It was that of someone who lost everything he valued and was clambering around to find purpose to continue living.

It was then when something strange suddenly happened. The temperature inside the church dropped dramatically and caught everyone off guard. 

All of the staff scrambled to their feet to fix the heater but some people were still baffled by how such cold could sweep the whole room that quickly. Fall was just starting but the cold that they all just felt surely belonged to the winter season. 

* * *

After the funeral, people began to disperse and gave the Flynn-Fletchers their deepest condolences before leaving. Some families lingered and tried to encourage the family the best that they could, which Linda was immensely grateful for. During all of this, Ferb stayed beside Phineas’ casket. 

“I’m so sorry Phineas. If only I was strong enough you would still be here. It’s my fault you and Baljeet are gone.” Ferb said quietly. He continued to stare at Phineas’ peaceful figure but then suddenly... he paled.

Phineas’ chest rose up and gently fell back down.

It did it again. And again. Is he... is he breathing? 

Ferb stumbled as he took a step back. Was his mind playing a twisted trick on him? His eyes that were glued to Phineas’ chest slowly made their way towards Phineas’ face but before he could reach his face, a hand on his shoulder made him jump. 

“Ferb! Sorry I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay? You seem alarmed.” Isabella asked. Ferb took a few deep breaths and turned to see that Phineas’ eyes were still closed and his chest was no longer moving. 

“Y-Yeah. I’m-It’s just that I thought I saw... Yeah, I’m fine.” Ferb replied.

Isabella gave him a concerned look. Something felt off. Ferb never stammered. Isabella just dismissed it as being distraught over losing his brother and ushered him back to the crowd.

* * *

It was already dark out when they got back home. Ferb immediately went upstairs to isolate himself, completely unaware of the subtle glares Candace was sending his back. Once he reached his room, he grabbed his headphones and crashed on his bed. He put on his headphones and played a song to the highest volume in an attempt to dull out the hurt that still danced around in his chest.

He didn’t bother to turn on any lights because being completely immersed in the dark never really bothered him. In a way, he found it to be comforting. It embodied what he was feeling lately: empty and devoid of any form of light. At first he was just staring mindlessly at his deep blue painted walls, remembering how much fun he and Phineas had transforming the room that was once pink into something that better suited Ferb’s style. 

Ferb closed his eyes and threw a pillow over his head. The song blaring from his headphones abruptly stopped and was replaced by static. Ferb opened his eyes. Is this thing broken already? He just bought these. 

The static got replaced by interference and seemed to have connected to a nearby radio mast. It switched from station to station emitting only one discernible word with each jump it made. Every word was uttered by different voices but Ferb caught every one of them and pieced them all together.

**Don’t worry. We will do everything to alleviate your suffering.**

A chill ran down his spine. He ripped out his headphones and sat straight up, suddenly feeling unnerved in his dark room.

_What the hell?!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A teeny bit creepy. Oh and yeah, the trio missed their first three weeks of school because they're still too depressed over what happened. :(  
> Also it’s been so long since I started writing fanfics again so I’m terribly sorry if you guys find my work a bit jumpy. Hopefully my pacing and transitions will be much smoother in the next chapters.  
> I’ll see you guys soon. :)


	3. Butterflies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so uhh, this chapter contains slight gore. If you're not big on that, don't worry. It's in the latter part of the chapter and it's brief!

Isabella dabbed concealer under eyes incessantly. No matter how hard she tried, the proof of a poor sleeping pattern was still peeking through it. She wished she got more than three hours of sleep last night for several reasons. Mainly because today was the day her, Ferb and Buford were supposed to get back to school. Three weeks' worth of work was starting to pile up and their parents thought it'd be best if they didn't let that mountain over.

She knew that she possessed the intellectual capacity to get them all done in a few days and to catch up in all of her classes. She was also sure Ferb would get his done in a day and have little to zero problems with catching up. Buford was a bit tricky though, but Isabella knows he is a man of persistence. He would surely find a way to get his work done, even if that means resorting to an unorthodox technique.

She gently put the concealer down on her vanity mirror and stared at the polaroids wedged in between its spaces. It was their pictures at the fair. Her eyes focused on Phineas and Baljeet's polaroids. Her heart sank as she saw how happy and carefree both of them looked, completely unaware of what was just lying ahead of them.

Isabella blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall and straightened her pink sweater. She grabbed her backpack and stole one more glance at the polaroids before leaving her room.

Vivian saw her daughter coming down to join her in the dining table and offered a soft smile as Isabella sat down. Based on what she's observing, Isabella was doing a lot better than she was weeks ago. She still had that dissociated and emotionless look on her face most of the time but the fact that Isabella had been eating again was enough of an improvement for Vivian.

"Thanks Mom." Isabella smiled as her mom set her breakfast in front of her.

Vivian kissed her daughter's head. "Of course, Hija."

"Any news on Pinky?" Isabella inquired. Her pet dog had been missing for two days which also contributed to her lack of sleep last night.

Pinky, similar to Perry, disappears every day to do who knows what but was always back around dinner time. It was not like him to be gone this long.

"I'm afraid not yet hon," Vivian frowned. "But once I do, I'll let you know okay? Hurry up eating so I can drive you to school."

* * *

Isabella briefly met up with Ferb and Buford when she passed by their lockers. She noted how both boys still looked glum but a bit better than they had been at Phineas' funeral. After exchanging a sympathetic conversation with one another, they all went to their first classes.

She liked English. It's the class that allowed her to showcase her talent in writing. But she was just not looking forward to it this year. Her teacher for this semester was infamous for being psychotically passive-aggressive and incredibly derogatory.

"God give me strength," Isabella muttered as she took her seat.

Isabella secretly recorded the whole lesson on her phone because her mind was still incredibly hazy. Before she knew it, it was second period already. Maybe her next class will wake her up. She hurried to the girls locker room and changed into her P.E. uniform.

* * *

"Isabella!"

Isabella turned around to see her former troop running up to her.

"Hey guys." Isabella smiled at them.

"I haven't seen you in ages! How are you doing?" Ginger asked as all of them walked to the school field.

"Honestly, not good but I'm managing. How about you though?" Isabella asked.

Ginger's gaze fell and Milly began rubbing her back soothingly. Losing her boyfriend had been painful for the Asian teen. Baljeet meant the world to her and everyone agreed that they were each other's endgame. Now Ginger had to alter her plans that incorporated Baljeet for the future now that he was forcibly taken out of the equation.

"I'm still heartbroken, but I'm also trying to cope just like you." Ginger answered softly.

"I can't imagine how difficult it must be losing Phineas, chief," Gretchen remarked.

An uncomfortable smile formed on Isabella's lips. Yeah... about Phineas. She had given up on that dream just a year ago. The emotional fatigue that came with chasing after the fairytale that was Phineas Flynn finally became too much for her to bear. She concluded that constantly wondering if she was good enough and becoming jealous of other girls was just too toxic for her mental health.

She hasn't told anyone about it yet because the people of Danville always knew her as that girl who pined over Phineas for ages. Explaining her unexpected resignation would just be too frustrating. One day she plans on confessing to her troop about it; she just needs more time planning on how to execute it precisely.

* * *

After only running about three laps on the school's track field, the gym teacher decided to end his class early. Adyson watched as their gym teacher "sneaked away" with a blonde woman into the school's parking lot. She had a knowing look and a smirk on her face as she approached her friends.

"The Math teacher and him are at it again," Adyson commented while wiping the sweat off her brow. "Teacher affairs are so disgusting! Can't believe they think the whole school doesn't know."

"Right? How can they come home to their families and sleep peacefully at night?" Holly added. "I'm not complaining though, we always get like half the period off."

They all laughed in unison. They were on their way back inside when Isabella noticed Ginger didn't move from her spot.

"Hold on girls," Isabella said and the group halted. When they saw Ginger, they joined Isabella and approached her. "Hey Ginger. You okay?"

Ginger turned around and showed them a beautiful black butterfly that was nestled on the back of her hand.

"I've never experienced anything like this before!" Ginger beamed.

"Awww!" They all cooed.

Their hearts swelled. This little butterfly's ability to cheer up their friend was just too wholesome they can't help but smile. Without a warning, the butterfly flew off of Ginger's hand.

"No, wait! C'mon guys let's follow it." Ginger said.

The rest complied and followed the insect. It flew off to the forest area of the school but the girls didn't mind. After all, they had half the period to do whatever they wanted and a little nostalgic activity such as this one was much needed after just being subjected to a traumatic event.

As they neared a certain area, a smell caught their noses. It was so pungent and putrid that it made them all cover their noses. Some were gagging including Isabella, but the former Fireside Girl tried her best not to throw up. It smelled like something  _ died _ and that alarmed her greatly.

"What is that?" Katie exclaimed.

"Girls, have your phones ready. We might need to call the police." Isabella announced. Each of them took out their phones in unison and waited for further instructions from their former leader.

They followed Isabella until they were a hundred percent certain they arrived at the origin of the smell. Isabella lowered the leaf that was covering their view and what they saw made them all scream.

There, lying right before them, was Pinky's carcass. The small dog had been decapitated and its head was just lying a few inches away from its body. This didn't look like an accident at all. Based on how clean and perfect the cut looked, it was clear that it was administered by a human.  _ An extremely disturbed individual. _

Bugs, ants, and a whole flock of butterflies were crawling and feasting all over Pinky's flesh. Their faces locked into a horrified state as they saw the chihuahua's bones already starting to peek through. The butterfly that they had been chasing earlier landed gently on one of Pinky's eyes and began eating away at the dog's cornea.

"Pinky...?" Isabella breathed.

_ They'd been feasting on Pinky for two days. _

Isabella spun around quickly. She tried to run away but her knees gave out making her collapse on the dirt. She wanted to flee the scene—this was just too much! A myriad of emotions was running through her at a million miles per hour, rendering her unable to recognize any of them. Whose fault was this? Was it hers for being too sad to take care of Pinky? Was it her fault that her childhood pet was now dead?

The girls fell beside Isabella and comforted her but all of their efforts just blended into white noise. Isabella tried to crawl away from them but they held her in place and continued drowning her in endless consolation. She felt sick. The smell and the image of her dog's gruesome death in her mind casted a nauseating spell on her, putting all of her senses in a flurry until she couldn't hold it in any longer.

Isabella's breakfast from earlier this morning was hurled out to the dirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... nasty. Also did you know that butterflies consume decaying animal matter & other gross stuff to get the nutrients they can't get from nectar alone? I swear google it! Such a disturbing aspect for such a beautiful and majestic being huh?
> 
> Oh and if you're wondering yes, the butterflies are a metaphor (or a foreshadow... *wink wink*) that will make sense in the future. Hopefully.
> 
> Anyways, please review! I'll see you guys soon. :)


	4. An Apparition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So remember when I said I’ll try to post 3 chapters a week? Turns out I can only do 2 chapters a week cause online school’s too much of a pain in the ass. :(( My math teacher is sending a million quizzes and lessons on google classroom and I’m just so tempted to delete that wretched app UGH. N E WAYZ,  
> Next chapter will be Ferbella cause I don’t wanna overwhelm y’all with heavy stuff lol. Okay, on with the chapter!

Choosing to have a spare for second period probably was the best decision Buford ever made in all his time here in Danville High. His spare stretches up to his lunch giving him enough time to prepare for his first difficult class for the day: Biology.

His mom forced him to take it. Something about it helping him in the future finesse his way to the business side of medicine and earn six figures a year. There was just one problem though. Buford didn’t excel in science. That’s why the gang decided they would join him in that class even though they didn’t need it. Buford remembered feeling very touched watching his friends replace one of their courses with biology before summer just to support him.

But this year, that class was just robbed of two brilliant students. He’s grateful he still had Ferb and Isabella with him, but it was just not the same without Phineas and Baljeet. Their deaths did massive damage but it offered them one silver lining: it made the bond between him, Ferb, and Isabella stronger than ever before. The three were constantly checking up on each other, video calling, and staying up late just to listen and be there for one another. It was as if it’s fate’s way of making up for the havoc it wreaked. 

Since P.E. had been his first class, Buford decided to stay in the school field and spend his spare time there. It’s way nicer than being where teachers constantly berate him for breathing. He was walking along near the forest area of the school when suddenly, he heard a group of high-pitched screaming coming from inside it. 

He decided to investigate and found Isabella having a full blown panic attack on the ground while being surrounded by her friends.

“What happened?” Buford asked urgently.

Only Gretchen looked up from the cluster of girls all hunched down on the ground.

“We... we found Pinky. He was... Oh just see for yourself!” 

Buford took a few steps away from the girls and then he saw it. Once the whole imagery filled him, he felt sick to his stomach. It was just so gnarly. And the smell seemed to have been the cherry on top of this grotesque thing. He can’t believe the girls saw this. He felt an unfounded anger bubble in him when he caught sight of the swarm of butterflies all over Pinky’s body. It was like nature's twisted way of taunting Isabella. Bile started to rise his throat but he quickly turned away and tried to regain control of his body.

Buford rejoined the group and saw Isabella on the brink of passing out. She fell faintly on Milly but the girl caught her straight away.

“Woah!” Milly exclaimed.

“We need to take her to the school clinic,” Buford ordered.

The girls immediately agreed and helped Isabella up to her feet. The girls took Isabella to the clinic with Buford offering additional support the entire time. The nurse assessed Isabella and decided it’d be best to just send her home given her current state. It wasn’t long until Vivian showed up to pick her daughter up from school. Before leaving, Vivian expressed her gratitude towards them for being there for Isabella when she needs it most. 

“Girls, are we willing to skip our third period classes to go to Isabella’s house?” Ginger asked. All of them replied positively without hesitation.

“Okay, it’s settled then. We’ll see you tomorrow Buford.” Ginger said then they all took off leaving Buford by himself.

* * *

They had a lab for their bio class that day. Buford partnered up with Ferb when the teacher announced that they would be extracting and analyzing the DNA of a yeast cell. 

The whole time both boys were doing the procedure, Ferb was constantly looking over to the door as if he was expecting someone to come in at any time.

“Is Isabella not coming to class?” Ferb asked.

“Nah, dude. She got sent home earlier.” Buford replied, not taking his eyes off his notes as he wrote down their observations.

Ferb raised both of his eyebrows in surprise. “Why?” 

“You remember how her pet went missing for two days? Well, they found him but he was horribly mutilated. Isabella had a panic attack but that was to be expected. Shit looked like it came straight from a horror movie.” Buford explained.

Ferb looked incredibly alarmed. He stopped what he was doing momentarily and tried to absorb every word he had just heard. This combined with the tragedy that was still fresh? Poor Isabella…

Buford noticed Ferb’s worried expression. He too shared the same concern for their friend. If stuff like this continued to pile on, it might push a person to the edge. Buford sighed and both boys continued with what they were doing.

* * *

They were almost done with the whole thing when Buford happened to glance at the door and saw a familiar figure passing by. Buford did a double take and felt a chill run down his spine. Before he could fully examine the person, they were already gone.

Is that... Maybe it was just a student who looked eerily similar to him. 

“Sir, I’m just gonna go use the bathroom real quick.” He said. Before his teacher could even respond, Buford was already out of the room.

“Damn it where did he go?” Buford whispered to himself.

This is crazy. He knows he’s gone. Sure, they didn’t get to attend his funeral but Buford knows for sure that he’s gone. He continued walking until he noticed the door to the school’s storage room wide open. He had a hunch that whoever he saw must’ve gone inside there. He debated with himself for a minute but eventually decided to go inside as well.

After all, what’s the worst thing that could happen? If he finds no one then his suspicion will be debunked.  _ But what if he does?  _ Well, that doesn’t automatically guarantee it being someone who he thinks of it is, right…? especially if they’re already  _ deceased. _

As Buford navigated his way through the maze of shelves and stacks of folding chairs, he couldn’t help but think of how this place would make the perfect hideout if times became desperate. Buford just wished he wouldn’t need to have to hide anytime soon.

Buford instantly located the person he was after. Buford found it odd that the guy was just standing in one spot with his back facing him. Now that he had a better look at him, he began noticing some things about this person.

That curly hair and that skin color were all too familiar.

“Hey!” Buford barked. 

The person didn’t move. Buford’s heart was drumming in his chest now. He didn’t like how creepy all of this was. He approached him slowly but instantly stopped when the guy spoke. 

“Hey Buford.” The person greeted vacantly. 

Buford felt his heart drop. The voice and the accent confirmed it all.

“Bal...Baljeet?” He choked out. He had to be dreaming. He just had to be. “How...” 

Baljeet’s shoulder shook. Was he laughing? Was he crying? 

“I didn’t come alone,” Baljeet said simply but Buford noted the sinister undertone in his voice. 

Suddenly Buford felt another presence in the room. Buford’s blood ran cold as he heard shuffling coming from his far right. He was so tempted to look but his body was preventing him from doing the action.

Without wasting another second in there, Buford bolted out the room.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… an apparition has finally appeared. Everything goes downhill from this point on. >:)   
> Also I’m aware that this chapter seems a bit weak, but it needs to be put out there. I’ll try to make it up with a Ferbella chapter that will be out ASAP!   
> I’ll see you guys soon. :)


	5. Drown Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t for the life of me figure out a working schedule for updates but I assure you guys that you will get your updates 2 times a week! Mondays and Fridays seem to be working for now. That might change in the future cause I only have 4 more weeks of online school so, yeah I’m excited to devote my entire time to this story!
> 
> P.S. this chapter hits different when you listen to “Shallows” by Daughter and “My Tears Are Becoming A Sea” by M83 while reading it. Okay, on with the chapter! :)

Ferb shoved the last thing he needed from his locker into his backpack. Buford never came back from his trip to the bathroom and Ferb had to finish their lab for them. He’s always had a reputation like this but never did Ferb saw Buford upped and left with that urgency before. He figured that if it had been that of a big deal to Buford, he’ll tell him and Isabella about it since this was a new thing between them three—Sharing anything that bothers them deeply.

Speaking of Isabella, he should probably visit her. After hearing about what happened to her this afternoon, she hasn’t left his mind since. He made a mental note to stop by Isabella’s favourite bakery shop to grab her something before going to her house. 

He closed his locker and stared at Phineas’ unused one beside his. He exhaled deeply and swung his backpack behind his back. A million things were ricocheting in his head and it felt like it was going to explode anytime soon. He bowed his head and plodded away.

* * *

Once he arrived home, the first thing he saw was Candace struggling to hold two laundry baskets in both arms. He set his things down immediately and rushed to help his sister. Candace rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh when she saw Ferb running towards her from the corner of her eye.

“No, it’s okay. I got it.” Candace said curtly.

Ferb tried to take one of the baskets from her again, but Candace turned away swiftly.

“I said I got it,” Candace said more sharply this time.

Ferb drew back and picked up his things, taking in the not so discreet hint. As he walked away, he heard something that made him stop dead in his tracks.

“Besides, you can’t even hold anything even if someone’s life depended on it,” Candace muttered just loud enough for Ferb to hear.

He felt like he had just been punched in the stomach. Did his sister just…? His heart felt like it was being stabbed a million daggers. With his throat growing tighter by the second, he continued walking and went straight to his room.

He took a shower and changed into new clothes. Showers always had a calming effect on him and based on what had just happened earlier downstairs, he surely needed some tranquillity. Also because he didn’t feel like showing up at Isabella’s all sweaty and gross. He ran a hand through his thick green hair for the last time and took off, grabbing the bag of pastries he bought earlier for Isabella.

* * *

Ferb stood in front of the Garcia-Shapiro’s front door and rang the doorbell. It wasn’t long until Vivian came and answered the door. When she saw Ferb, she gave him a confused yet delighted smile.

“Ah, Ferb! Are you here for Isabella too muchacho?” Vivian asked. Ferb nodded.

“Okay, she’s in her room. You know where her room is right?” Vivian asked. Ferb nodded again.

“Oh, that’s right. You and Phineas had been there before when you brought her that giant sundae when you guys were kids… My condolences again hon.” Vivian said. Ferb gave her a soft smile and a thumbs up before running up their stairs.

Once he got to Isabella’s door, he knocked three times.

“It’s open Mom.” A voice cried from the inside.

Ferb smiled and proceeded to open the door. Isabella’s room was the same as he had seen on their video calls. Her purple curtains were all shut making the room appear rather dark and dreary. Ferb found it strange that Isabella was seated on the floor adjacent to her bed instead of on the bed itself.

“So when are we going to… Ferb? Why are you here?” Isabella asked.

Ferb lifted his hand that was carrying the bag of pastries. “I brought you some macaroons.”

Isabella’s mouth gaped open. “Oh my god, really?”

Ferb nodded.

“Ferb! You’re the sweetest!” Isabella exclaimed making Ferb chuckle.

He walked over to Isabella and sat down beside her. 

“So, Buford told me what happened to you today.” Ferb began with the utmost care as he set down the pastries in front of Isabella.

Her expression grew serious. “Yeah… it was absolutely horrendous.”

“Indeed it was,” Ferb said gently. “And that is the reason why I came here. I don't want you to drown in your agony alone, Bella. I simply won't allow it.”

Ferb’s words seeped in and resonated within her. This is why she and Ferb grew closer together over their teenage years. Ferb didn't just offer an ear to all her problems, he also offered reliable advice. Ferb didn't just lend a shoulder for her to cry on, he also shared her pain and suffered with her. Throughout the years, Isabella poured out her pain to him and Ferb readily caught every bit of it and helped her dispose of them. She couldn't imagine life without him to medicate her frequently wounded heart.

“It’s just that... I feel like I’m to blame for everything that has happened,” Isabella spoke, fighting to keep her voice from quivering. 

“I feel selfish. It’s like I took away from the innocent. Sure the thing that happened on the roller coaster had been an accident and I hadn’t taken Pinky’s life myself but somehow it still feels like it’s my fault, Ferb. If you weren’t divided between me and Phineas then you would’ve saved him and Baljeet wouldn’t have been knocked off. If I hadn’t been too depressed then I would have taken better care of Pinky.” Isabella confessed. 

She paused for a moment. “Sometimes I feel like I don’t even deserve the air I breathe.”

Hearing all of this made Ferb’s heart ache. He can’t stand to hear Isabella blame herself for a myriad of reasons. Mainly because he believes all blame was on him and Isabella had just been one of the unfortunate ones to reap the consequences of his failure. 

He slid closer to Isabella and wiped the tears off her cheeks and gave her hand a soothing squeeze. The action took the teen by surprise; she didn't realize that she was crying the whole time.

“Bella, I can assure you that none of this is your fault,” Ferb said in a steady voice as he enveloped her in a tight embrace.

“I don’t know what to do, Ferb. I feel so selfish for being the one that survived instead of Phineas and Baljeet. Waking up every day in my skin is hell.” Isabella said as she laid her head on Ferb’s shoulder. “I’m actually surprised you haven’t realized you hate me yet.” 

Now it was Ferb who was taken by surprise. 

“Hate you? Isabella, I could never hate you. The chances of that happening are as good as a million galaxies to one atomic quark. You and Buford are the main reason why I try to continue on living. How could I hate you when you’ve done so much good in my life?” Ferb said with an intensity that had not only taken Isabella aback but also himself. 

“I guess my stupid brain loves to tell me things during sleepless nights,” Isabella mumbled. 

“Tell that brain to stop or else I might just build an advanced and customized EEG electrode cap and tell it myself.” Ferb grinned.

Isabella laughed and punched him playfully. 

* * *

They stayed in comfortable silence for a while, just thankful for each other’s company. Isabella started to dig into the macaroons Ferb brought her and offered him some—which he politely declined. When she was almost halfway through the bag, she noticed the time.

“Hey, it’s not that I want you to go but won’t Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher be worried? It’s almost time for dinner.” Isabella said.

“Don’t worry about it. Besides I am not that eager to go home right now.” Ferb said tepidly.

“Is it cool if I ask why?” Isabella asked.

“Just a little tension at home. Nothing too crazy.” Ferb replied.

“Tension? Between who?” 

“Candace and I.” 

Isabella raised both of her brows in surprise. “What? Why?” 

_ Good question.  _ Ferb gazed on the floor and shrugged. He had a feeling he knew why, but he just didn’t want to delve into it. He feared that his intuition might be correct—a pattern that tended to be faultless. Years of experience with Ferb’s silent communication made Isabella pick up this type of silence quickly.

“Oh, Ferb.” She sighed dismally and pulled him into an embrace again.

“Could I just stay here with you for a couple more minutes?” Ferb asked almost pleadingly, his voice muffled by Isabella’s hair.

“You can stay as long as you need to,” Isabella whispered and held him tighter. 

And they stayed like that for an extended period of time. Just clinging to one another for comfort; appreciating that the other existed. The world became null and both were temporarily whisked away from reality. They felt at peace—something they haven’t felt in a long time—in each other’s hold. Nothing else mattered in the world at that moment.

It was just Ferb and Isabella.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I had fun writing this chapter? Also, I just wanna clear up that Ferb is that comfortable with Isabella so he talks to her a lot more than he does with other characters. So if you think he feels a bit out of character, that’s your explanation. The next chapter will be interesting! I’m gonna touch more on the tension between Candace and Ferb, so stay tuned!
> 
> Leave a review if you can and I’ll see you guys soon. :)


	6. Family Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry for the late update! I was super slammed in my online classes yesterday. I had a math test and an essay to write for philosophy.
> 
> Anyways, here it is, ladies and gentlemen. Some stuff is about to go down. >:)

* * *

Candace moved her food around on the plate disinterestedly. The whole dinner table was silent except for the clinking of the kitchen silverware. Something was brewing in the atmosphere, and it was making the air thicker by the minute. 

“Candace, don’t just stare at your food. You gotta eat at least a little bit.” Linda reprimanded. “Anyways, I’ve got some good news for you Ferb.”

Ferb looked up and turned to his mother attentively.

“I’ve recently met up with a friend who works at mechanics and he mentioned that they’re looking for interns. He said they wanted someone like you in their company and they asked if you’d think of applying. Isn’t that great?” Linda said.

“That sounds delightful! What do you think Ferb?” Lawrence asked.

It was tempting to agree on the spot but he knew there are factors that he needed to take into consideration first. Like how it would affect his daily routine, his performance in school, and many more. Ferb smiled and shrugged.

“Don’t worry sweetheart, you’ll have plenty of time to think about it. I can already visualize how you’ll do in there. You’ll be a perfect addition!” Linda exclaimed.

“Woah, although I agree with you about Ferb’s tendency to excel in practically anything,” Lawrence put a hand on Ferb’s shoulder. “I still think we shouldn’t put this crazy expectation on him. He hasn’t even thought about it yet.” 

“Dad’s right, Mom. Don’t pressure Ferb yet. He  _ can’t  _ possibly do everything.” Candace said plainly. 

There was a beat. Candace’s statement was unassuming, but there was something that sounded off about it. Ferb doesn’t deny it though. He agrees that he wasn’t perfect even in the slightest, but Candace’s delivery was just a bit off-putting. He decided to ignore it.

“There was an incident in the antic shop earlier,” Lawrence said.

“An elderly man fell and hit his head on the floor pretty hard. He accused the guy next to him of shoving him and threatened to sue but the guy said it was an accident. He was bleeding profusely, I had to call an ambulance.” 

“Oh, that’s horrible. Don’t you just hate it when someone does something cruel and doesn’t even show an ounce of regret for it?” Candace had a look on her face. It resembled that of mockery. “Cause I hate when people get away with something they did.” 

_ Didn’t show regret? Their father didn’t even mention how the guy reacted... _

“Did it turn out to be intentional or not?” Linda asked.

“That I don’t know. But I do know that the guy was detained and questioned in the local police station.” Lawrence answered.

“Well, false accusations exist, right? What if it had truly been an accident?” Ferb asked. 

“But what if it wasn’t? There are evil people walking among us hiding underneath smiles and publicized good deeds. Wolves in sheep’s clothing. You should know this, Ferb.” Candace said. 

“Especially since you’re a stellar example,” Candace muttered the last part lowly but Ferb heard her loud and clear. 

The tension was at an all-time high now, gripping all of them by the neck. Ferb took a deep breath and slowly released it. Candace was glaring at him but he returned it with the same intensity. He tried to ignore Candace’s indirect comments since earlier this afternoon but it seems she has no intention of stopping anytime soon.

_ That did it. _

“What seems to be the issue, Candace?” Ferb asked as he put his fork down.

“Issue? Do you think there’s an issue, Ferb?”

“Well, it seems to me you’re making snide remarks this whole time.”

“Ferb…” Lawrence warned gently but fell on deaf ears.

“Really?” Candace asked innocently. “That’s so weird. If I was though, I wonder why it’s affecting you so much. I mean, only those who are guilty would be offend—”

“Look if there’s something you want to say just say it. Doing roundabouts makes you appear rather pathetic.” Ferb snapped, taking their parents by surprise.

There was a pause. Ferb took satisfaction in seeing how riled up his sister was at that moment. He knew he had hit a nerve and this temporary silence was the calm before the storm. Candace sprung up from her seat.

“Me? Pathetic? Tell me, was I the one who let Phineas die?” 

Everyone flinched at the sound of Phineas’ name.  _ Oh, she’s really going to go there… isn’t she? _

“Was I the one who locked the world away and left their parents to grieve by themselves? No, and you know that. While you were crying yourself away in your goddamned room, I was trying to piece back the rift that you’ve created in this family! In this town!” Candace continued, pointing a finger at Ferb the whole time.

“And I know that you’re hurting, Ferb. I know that you miss him. But don’t you know that I’m also hurting the same? That we’re also experiencing the same pain as you? No! Because it’s all about you, right?” Tears of frustration were starting to form in Candace's eyes.

“And it’s such a waste! This tragedy could’ve brought this family closer together but now it’s fucking falling apart instead.” Candace’s voice fluctuated but her furious gaze at Ferb didn’t falter. 

“You have never even attempted to reach out to us. We could’ve dealt with this better but instead, you swept this entire thing under a rug. And that’s one of the reasons why I will never forgive you, Ferb. I will never forgive you for what you did to this family.”

Every word was a knife impaling itself on Ferb’s heart. Did grief really make him blind to other people’s suffering except his own? His eyes started to sting and his throat began closing up.

“Sometimes I think you meant to let Phineas die. I mean, who would want to continue living in the shadow of their vivacious brother right?” Candace laughed lightly. 

“Enough Candace!” Linda hissed. 

“Why save the person who would take away your spotlight, right Ferb? Are you happy now? Are you happy with the undivided attention you’re getting?” Candace yelled, violently wiping away her tears in frustration. 

“I lost my biological brother to you, Ferb. I hope that’s engraved in your conscience forever.” Candace spat out disdainfully.

“Candace Gertrude Flynn!” Linda roared.

“And you! You were his mother! It hasn’t even been a month yet but you’re already back on your feet. Did he not matter to you at all? What kind of mother are you?” Candace accused. 

“I have to continue living for you and this family. That’s what Phineas would’ve wanted.” Linda said. 

Before Candace could respond, Linda interrupted her.

“That’s the end of that. I don’t want to hear another word come out of that mouth of yours Miss.”

“You’re taking his side? Are you fucking serio—“

“Don’t swear at me, young lady. I am the one who birthed you! You’ve already ruined this dinner, don’t provoke me to make this take a turn for the worse.” Linda yelled.

The lights flickered.

Candace glowered. She pushed her chair back and stormed away—stopping when she passed by Ferb.

“I wish it had been you instead of Phineas.” She said bitterly then left. 

Ferb slowly bowed his head. He was ashamed to be seen by his parents right now. He was ashamed because everything Candace said felt true. Tears began brimming in his eyes but he fought them from falling off. He can’t cry in front of them. 

_So he had been right all along._ _About the whole thing being his fault and Candace blaming him._

“I didn’t want him to die. I tried to save him and Isabella… I tried… I tried—“ Ferb choked. 

Linda and Lawrence immediately rushed to their son. 

“I wish it had been me instead too. It would’ve been better off that way.” Ferb’s throat was now hurting by keeping in the sob that was trying to escape.

Linda pulled Ferb into an embrace and Lawrence ran his fingers through Ferb’s hair—something that soothed Ferb ever since he was young. 

“I’m sorry you lost your son because of me, Mom,” Ferb said, his voice hoarse.

“I don’t blame you, Ferb. I never have. We would’ve grieved the same if it had been you.” Linda said reassuringly. “I’m thankful I still have you. I would’ve lost my mind if I lost both of my boys.” 

“Honey, do you mind checking up on Candace? She might’ve lashed out but she’s still our daughter.” Linda asked in a gentle voice.

Lawrence nodded and headed towards the basement. Candace had been staying in their guest room for the previous weeks since her old room had been handed to Ferb a long time ago.

The Flynn-Fletcher household was currently unstable. Linda knew an outburst like that was inevitable but she didn’t expect it to happen so soon. Everyone was still in the process of mourning and they needed someone who would support and understand them.

She just needs to continue being strong for her kids. If she succeeds in becoming the one who they can lean on, then she might just save her family from completely crumbling down. She might just salvage and heal Candace and Ferb's deteriorating relationship. She might just make her departed son proud.

Linda looked down at Ferb and saw that he had a dissociated look on his face. She sighed and kissed his forehead.

Both of her kids might just need therapy. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much stuff is happening aaaaaaaaaaa  
> Also, I’m not anti-Candace! I just need to flesh out the characters a bit who are going through trauma and grief. Candace is mourning, yes. Does that excuse her behaviour? No. But this is her coping mechanism. She can’t accept the death of her brother and is looking for someone to blame. She’s looking for the easy way out of grief which we know often leads to catastrophic results. 
> 
> I plan on redeeming her at the end! Of course, that doesn’t guarantee everything will go back to sunshines and rainbows when that happens. I already know how I’m going to end this fic *evil laugh* >:)
> 
> Again I’m terribly sorry for the delayed update! If you can leave a review, please do so! I’ll see you guys soon. :)


	7. Vision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The way I had to restructure and rewrite this whole chapter 4 million times. UGH. I had to trash out my first idea and replace it with a better one lmao!

Ferb, Isabella, and Buford all sat together at lunch. Isabella was animatedly ranting about how she almost got kicked out by her English teacher for being late. Both boys tried their best to listen but their heads were preoccupied with something else.

They were occasionally nodding but Isabella noticed they weren’t their usual attentive selves. Buford had an uneasy expression and was constantly looking around the room as if he was searching for someone while Ferb just looked withered and glum.

“Hey, are you guys okay?” Isabella asked concernedly.

“Yeah... yeah, I’m fine,” Buford replied, snapping his attention back to the table. He turned and saw the downcast Brit beside him. 

“What’s wrong man?” Buford asked. 

Ferb looked like he didn’t want to answer the question. Isabella reached across and held Ferb’s hand. 

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Isabella asked delicately. 

Ferb shrugged. Did he want to? It would be better if he did rather than bottling it up. He looked up to eye his friends and saw the legitimate concern written on their faces. _ Eh, what the hell. _ These are the two people he trusted the most, so why not? 

“Candace and I got into an argument last night,” Ferb spoke in a mild voice.

Isabella furrowed her eyebrows and Buford looked confused. 

“What happened?” Isabella asked. 

“She pointed out things I’ve never noticed before and emphasized on things I already knew.”

“Like what?” Buford was still confused but was following along.

“Like how I tore the family apart and how Phineas’ death had been my fault,” Ferb said in a monotonous voice as to keep all of his emotions at bay.

“What?!” Buford exclaimed in disbelief.

“She also mentioned how she wished it had been me instead of Phineas as a cherry on top.” 

“Oh my god.” Isabella gasped. “What’s gotten into her?”

Ferb closed his eyes and inhaled deeply in response. Isabella and Buford looked at each other in worry. What Candace did was cruel and selfish. Taking out her pain on Ferb was just appalling and completely unacceptable. 

“Hey, what do you say we all come hang out at my house after school? We can watch movies and talk more about this problem.” Isabella said.

Ferb opened his eyes and saw Isabella looking at him warmly. He supposed some company might improve his spirits. 

“Sure, why not.” 

* * *

They were immediately greeted by Vivian when they arrived at Isabella’s house. She brought them snacks and extra pillows to make their stay as comfortable as possible. After thanking the hospitable woman, they put on an action movie Buford had been dying to see. Isabella would've argued for a different movie, but Ferb showing the slightest of interest made her decide against it.

Buford insisted on sitting on the floor no matter how many times Ferb and Isabella tried to get him to join them on the couch. They rolled their eyes when Buford reasoned that he was closer to the snacks and the television on the floor than on the couch.

“Hey, if you don’t want to watch the movie—” Isabella whispered towards Ferb but he politely cut her off.

“No it’s okay, Bella.” Ferb whispered back with a half-smile. He needed this distraction, to be frank. He can’t properly communicate how he was feeling about last night’s dinner yet and he needed time to figure them out.

Isabella returned the smile and they all turned their attention to the television. Halfway through the film, Isabella noticed Ferb beginning to get drowsy. She grabbed a pillow and laid it on her lap before gesturing for Ferb to lay his head on it.

Ferb almost fell asleep instantly when his head collided with the pillow. He tried his best to stay awake for the rest of the movie but his body was just too tired to keep his eyelids open. He eventually fell into a hypnotic trance and felt his body become paralyzed. He recognized them as the familiar signs of falling asleep he’s always had, but there was just something that felt different this time.

His body was on the verge of sleep but his mind was still conscious. He shivered and started to hear a buzzing sound that was becoming overwhelming by the second. His heart accelerated and his breathing changed drastically. This continued until he heard a distinct popping sound and felt a cold breeze blow through his hair.

_ That… was weird _ . Eyes still closed, he lifted his head gently and stood up. 

“Bella mind if I use the bathroom—“ Ferb opened his eyes and froze.

His body was still lying down on the couch with Isabella. He was outside of his own body… and he was watching it sleep peacefully on Isabella’s lap. Ferb was at a loss for words. 

He was still at Isabella’s house but the place looked a lot darker and more… menacing. The calming ambient of the place made Ferb wonder if he was in a dream or a nightmare. He inspected his limp body on the couch and sighed in relief when he saw that it was still breathing. 

He has read something about this before. People going into the astral realm to spy on people, time travel, and encounter entities. He felt compelled to return to his body immediately but his curiosity got the best of him.

Having a peek into the future sounded intriguing to him. He wanted to know how long it will take them to get over the pain from the deaths of his brother and friend. _ What if they never do? What if things only got worse in the future? What if he sees things that he didn’t want to see? _

The sound of Isabella and Buford’s laughter interrupted his thoughts momentarily.  _ Well, there was still a chance of things being better in the future, right? _ No matter what lies ahead, Ferb knew he and his friends could accept and work through it. If things were worse in the future then maybe they could still alter it. If things were better then maybe he could comfort his friends with that knowledge.

Ferb took a deep breath and willed himself to travel three months into the future. He was transported to a hospital and immediately a loud wailing filled his ears. He walked around and tried to find the source. As he got closer and closer, the Van Stomm family came into view.

They were all huddled together around a hospital bed. Did they lose someone? Ferb jogged the rest of the way and tried to see who was on the bed. He let out a gasp and fell back.  _ No… it couldn’t be. It just couldn’t.  _

Buford was lying lifeless on the bed.

Ferb’s breathing hitched and before he could wrap his head around what he just saw, he progressed further into the future. This time the setting had been that of a funeral. For Buford, he reckoned. As he walked over to the casket, questions began ricochetting in his head. What could’ve possibly happened to Buford? Is there something they could do to prevent this from happening?

He reached the casket and what he saw made him jump back in horror. It wasn’t Buford. He gathered all of his strength and decided to look again. He wanted to know if the person he saw is really the one who he thinks he saw. Getting his confirmation, Ferb stumbled and lost his footing.

It was Isabella.  _ God, it was Isabella! He’ll lose her too? _ Ferb felt his left hand stinging. He turned it over and saw that it was bleeding. He must've cut in on a sharp edge on his way down. He was panicking. Isabella can’t die. His friends can’t die. He already lost Phineas and Baljeet. He can’t lose them too.

He went even further in the future and was back in a hospital setting. Great…what awaited him now? He wished he'd see something positive this time but he knew there were only a handful of good things that could happen in a hospital.

He wandered for a bit until he saw his family. All of his relatives were there including the ones from Britain.  _ Oh god.  _ He ran up to them and saw his father bawling on the floor and his mother consoling him.  _ Oh god.  _ His heart was hammering in his chest. He tried to see who was on the hospital bed, praying he doesn’t see who thinks he will see lying on it.

He felt his heart drop when he finally saw the person on the bed. 

_ It was him. _

So that’s it? They’ll all die? There’s got to be something they can do to prevent any of this from happening. After all, he and his brother used to defy the laws of the universe regularly. He could surely find a way to stop any of this from happening. 

“You know, you shouldn’t really be here.” A familiar voice said behind him. 

He spun around and saw Phineas.

“It’s not safe for living people to be in the astral realm. Dark entities hunt down the likes of you.” Phineas continued.

“Phineas?” Ferb breathed out. “What… W-Where…?”

“You’re probably very confused right now, but just know that you don’t have to worry about anything. I made everything work out in the end. Everyone’s happy.” Phineas interrupted. “You should really get back now. You’re making yourself more vulnerable the longer you stay here.”

Ferb was completely confused.  _ What does he mean by that?  _ Phineas grabbed his arm and both of them returned to the present time. 

“Hey Ferb? I missed you.” Phineas said softly before pushing Ferb back to his sleeping body.

Ferb woke up with a start, startling Isabella. 

“Woah, Ferb! You good?” Isabella asked.

Ferb nodded. He sat upright and ran his right hand through his hair. Was that just a crazy dream or was it real? Because it sure as hell felt real. He can still remember everything vividly. He just saw all of them dead! He closed his eyes and focused on getting his breathing back to normal. 

_ Wait, why was Phineas there?  _

“You sure you’re alright nerd? You look freaked out.” Buford asked, interrupting his thoughts. 

“Yeah. I just need some water.” Ferb responded.

There must be an explanation for everything. That must’ve been one hell of a nightmare and aren’t people more prone to remember their nightmares than their dreams? Isabella handed him a bottle of water and Ferb took it with his left hand.

He inhaled sharply and dropped the bottle of water. He slowly turned his stinging hand over and saw a large cut covering his entire left palm. Ferb immediately remembered how he got it.

_ Oh god. _

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah why was Phineas there? It’s almost as if he hunted Ferb down… Eh, this probably won’t be relevant in the future. ;) 
> 
> Also, I think my next update will be sometime next week. I have two CPTs I need to work on ://  
> Anyways, please leave a review and I’ll see you guys soon. :)


	8. Polaroids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI IT’S ME BLUE! I’M BACK! Oh my god the hell that I just went through! My CPT for one class took three days to finish and the other one was just pure agony. Hopefully, that’s the end of it. Anyways, I missed you all so much! Here’s another chapter for all of you. <3

“Do you guys have plans later after school? I really wanna check out the new skating rink that’s just opened near our street.” Isabella said while casually leaning on her locker.

“Can’t. I have a part-time job now, remember?” Buford replied.

“Wow. That’s still going on? How have they not fired you yet?” Isabella taunted playfully. 

Buford sighed heavily, making Ferb chuckle. 

“I wish they would. Honestly, the extra money I’m making is the only thing keeping me from quitting.” Buford said, closing his locker lifelessly. “But overall, I miss when I was still free and not wearing a stupid apron for four hours.”

“Ah, yes. The good old days of being a bachelor.” Ferb commented. 

Isabella giggled and Buford rolled his eyes. Isabella couldn’t be any more proud of her friend for landing a job in just two weeks. This was Buford who we’re talking about. The same person who joked about giving up and sailing off to a new country one too many times when they were younger. It was like being a mother watching her son grow up and take full responsibility for his life. 

If Ferb hadn’t cut open his palm around that time, she would’ve thought this was the most mind-boggling thing to ever happen to one of her friends. Isabella suddenly frowned. Up until this day she had no idea how Ferb got that injury. The cut had been so bad, he ended up needing stitches for it. When she tried asking how he ended up with such an injury, all that she got from him was a vague answer.

“How about you, Ferb?” Isabella asked eagerly. 

“As much as I would love to accompany you Bella, I’m afraid I also can’t. Father said he needed me to head straight to the shop after school.” Ferb replied.

“That sucks. Guess I’ll have to go alone then.” Isabella pouted and Ferb gave her an apologetic smile.

“It’s not like we’re the only friends you’ve got, Isabella. How about you ask one of the former Fire…”Buford trailed off. 

Isabella kept her eye contact with Buford and raised her eyebrows, encouraging him to continue. But he didn’t. Buford was looking right over Isabella’s shoulders as if someone mysteriously appeared behind her. Isabella and Ferb tried to follow Buford’s gaze only to arrive at nothing.

“Buford?” Isabella spoke gently. “You’re kinda creeping me out...”

Colour was slowly draining off Buford’s face but his eyes remained fixed on the space behind Isabella. His breathing became rapid and beads of sweat started to form on his forehead. 

“What do you want from me?” Buford whispered only loud enough for both Ferb and Isabella to hear.

That immediately set off alarms in both of their heads. 

“Buford, what’s wrong?” Ferb asked, his voice mild yet laced with worry. 

Buford opened his mouth to say something but before he could, the school bell rang and he rushed off to his first class—leaving his friends completely confused and taken aback. 

* * *

English was yet again, brutal. Isabella trudged irritatedly to the girl’s locker room to change into her P.E. uniform.

“Hey Izzy!” Ginger greeted brightly before proceeding to hug the young Latina. “Woah. Who made you mad this early in the morning?” 

Isabella groaned. “Mrs. Campbell from English. Ugh, that woman is such a major pain in the ass.” 

“I heard she was the devil. Adyson had her last year but was eventually kicked out of the course for standing up to her.” Ginger laughed. 

“I swear, one of these days karma will finally catch up to her and it will be cathartic to everyone she has ever victimized.” Isabella giggled lightly as she moved to tie her running shoes.

As they were walking outside to the school field, Ginger couldn’t help but notice that there was still something plaguing Isabella. When Isabella noticed her staring, she made an attempt to hide her troubles but it just proved to be in vain.

“There’s something you’re not telling me.” Ginger squinted her eyes in suspicion. Isabella feigned confusion. “Oh come on Iz, playing dumb is just insulting my IQ. Go on, out with it.” 

Isabella sighed in defeat. “I’m just worried about Buford and Ferb.”

“Why’s that?” Ginger asked.

“They’ve been acting strange lately. Just this morning Buford appeared to have seen something that neither Ferb and I can see and then he started freaking out.” Isabella replied.

“Maybe he’s just baked?” Ginger suggested.

“What? No!” Isabella exclaimed in surprise and disbelief. 

“Well I mean, don’t people our age usually deal with grief through means of numbing?” Ginger tried her point again. 

“No, if he’s using drugs to cope I would know. The three of us tell each other everything.” Isabella rebutted. “And then there’s Ferb.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard about his hand.” Ginger said.

“I’m just scared that he’s the one doing that to himself.” Isabella felt her heart grow heavy. “He can’t even give me a straight answer every time I ask him how he got it.”

Ginger racked her brain for something to say to mitigate Isabella’s anxieties. She carefully contemplated a solution based on the information she was given.

“Maybe it’s the trauma that’s got them acting this way. All I know is that every small act of kindness goes a long way especially to those who are suffering. So, how about making them something special? I’m sure they’ll appreciate whatever you’ll put together.” Ginger proposed. 

Isabella’s face lit up. “Ooooh! This is why you’re my best friend! Maybe I’ll bake them something and write each of them a letter. Will you help me?” 

“I thought you’d never ask!” Ginger chirped. 

* * *

After school, Isabella and Ginger hurried to the Garcia-Shapiro’s house and immediately got to work—giggling and making a mess in the kitchen as they went. For a moment, both girls swore they accidentally stepped foot into one of those stereotypical teenage movies where everything turned out fine in the end and everyone was treated fairly by the universe.

“Okay, now we just wait for these bad boys to cook.” Ginger said as she placed the tray of cookies inside the oven. 

“I hope they won’t find the turtle-shaped cookies weird,” Isabella said insecurely. 

“What? Izzy, they’re adorable. Why? Is there someone you’re trying to impress?” Ginger interrogated with a raised brow and a grin. 

“No! of course not!” Isabella blushed and immediately looked away—finding the cracks on the wall interesting all of the sudden.

“You sure? Cause we all know that Buford never cared how pretty his food looked before.” Ginger continued, her sly grin growing wider.

Isabella opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. She tried suppressing the stubborn giggles that were trying to escape but it turned out to be futile. Unfortunately for her, Ginger took that as a sign to keep going. 

“Don’t worry, I’m sure that whoever you’re trying to impress will _fancy_ these—“

“Hey, how about we start writing those letters while we wait for these to cook?” Isabella suggested, desperately trying to put an end on their banter. Thankfully, Ginger relented. 

They ran upstairs and went inside Isabella’s room to grab all the stationary paraphernalia they needed for the task. After gathering everything they started to head for the door, but something caught Isabella’s eye when they passed by the vanity mirror that made her stop abruptly.

Something didn’t seem right with the polaroids that were wedged in between her mirror. She inched closer for a better look. _That may have been a bad idea._ Upon inspection, she found that the smiles in their group photo were replaced by intense stares from the subjects encapsulated in them. Even the stand-alone polaroids of her and her friends exhibited the same icy stare. Isabella gulped.

It was like they were staring deep into her soul. She stood frozen in place. Her brain refused to process what she was seeing. The stares from Phineas and Baljeet’s stand-alone polaroids unsettled her the most. She swears on her Abuelita’s grave that those weren’t the pictures she took of that day. 

“Hey! Are you coming or what?”

Isabella was immediately brought back to reality. She turned to see Ginger waiting for her outside her bedroom with a slightly concerned look on her face. 

“Yeah… I’m just…” Isabella mumbled as she looked at the polaroids again only to see them back to normal. 

“Come on. Writing those letters by myself wasn’t part of the deal missy!” Ginger laughed then she disappeared around the corner. 

Isabella took one last look on her polaroids. _Did she actually just see that? Or was that her brain trying to play tricks on her?_ She shook her head and turned off the lights in her room before following Ginger downstairs. 

What she didn’t know was that a shadowy figure appeared on the farthest corner of her room the moment she left. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh spooky. If you have a Ginger in your life, cherish them! Also I’ll explain what happened to Buford in the next chapter which will be up soon.
> 
> Anyways, please review! I’ll see you guys soon. :)


	9. Breaking Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again! I’ve finished this chapter yesterday but big sister duties prevented me from editing it and posting :// So sorry but here’s another chapter for u people! :D Things get a little intense here.

Buford sat in his bed, tapping his foot anxiously. _He saw him again. He saw Baljeet earlier this morning again._ Buford ran a hand up to his head and slowly massaged his temples. _Why is he seeing him? Is it only him who is experiencing this? Is this a psychological thing that happens when you deal with trauma?_

Buford groaned in frustration. _He must be going crazy_. The worry he saw on Ferb and Isabella's faces earlier filled his gut with guilt. He'd been wanting to tell them about this ever since it started but has always decided against it. He figured that it was just too much of a sensitive topic to have a conversation about, especially since all three of them are still pretty unstable.

Buford hauled himself out of bed and changed into his work uniform. His shift starts in fifteen minutes so he'd better hurry. He felt a little relieved to know that he'll have his work to distract him from all of these thoughts for at least a couple of hours. The retro diner he works at is usually stuffed with customers that having a silent moment to yourself was almost impossible to achieve.

That's exactly what he needed right now—a distraction. The teenage bully didn't want even a sliver of silence. The quiet only kindles the fire that are his thoughts which he knows will eventually burn him out. He said a quick goodbye to his mom and then took off.

* * *

The diner wasn't as packed as he anticipated, but _God were those customers annoying as hell_. There was a table he served full of "Karens" who belittled him by calling him "just a waiter" and threatened to call the manager on him when he tried to stand up for himself. There were also a bunch of young teens spilling drinks and causing a ruckus in the diner all for an internet trend.

Buford needed a breather. He entered their break room and saw a lean African-American teenager in a similar uniform as him seated on one of the chairs, scrolling mindlessly on his phone. It took a couple of minutes for the guy to notice Buford's presence, but once he did a big smile covered his face.

"Ey, sup Byoof!" The guy hollered enthusiastically.

"Griffin my man," Buford returned the smile as he walked towards his coworker for a fist bump. "I see you're slackin' off again."

"Hey, we don't get paid enough for the shit we do so why exert effort?" Griffin said dryly.

"You have a point there." Buford nodded in agreement. "Had a table full of freshmen doing stupid trends for the internet. Guess who had to go in there and clean up their mess."

"Sounds fun." Griffin grimaced, shaking his head but Buford just rolled his eyes.

"Oh don't you even get me started with the table full of 'Karens'." Buford scoffed.

"Damn bro. That's some eventful afternoon you just had." Griffin grinned sympathetically. "I've got cigs in my locker if you want one."

"Nah I'm good. I'm just gonna use the bathroom real quick then I'll go back out there." Buford said as he started making his way to the door.

"Alright man. Suit yourself." Griffin shrugged then went back on his phone.

Buford walked into the bathroom designated for employees only, silently grateful that it was empty, and went straight to the sink to splash water on his face. The moment he felt the cold water hit his skin, he felt himself relax a little. Unfortunately, that moment had been short-lived. Buford instantly grew uneasy when he felt another presence uncomfortably close to him. _It's probably Griffin waiting to show him something on his phone._ He turned the faucet off and lifted his head, expecting to see his coworker's reflection beside his in the mirror.

Only Buford didn't expect to see two reflections on either side of him. And none of them were of Griffin's. Buford's blood ran cold seeing the faces of his deceased friends in the mirror. He spun around in a flash but continued to grip the sink behind him for something to ground him in reality.

"Buford. It's been a while," Phineas said flatly.

Buford's grip on the sink tightened. Hearing Phineas' voice again set a flurry of heavy emotions in him. He can't describe what he was feeling but he did know one thing for sure. It felt wrong. All of this felt wrong. Just seeing how pale and ghastly both his childhood friends looked was probably the closest equivalent to a heinous crime.

"Phineas? Baljeet?" Buford let those words ring in the air for a moment, testing how it sounded.

"I shouldn't tell you this, but Isabella just baked cookies shaped like turtles for both you and Ferb," Phineas reported. "I've always admired her for her sweetness."

Absolutely stupefied. Buford was totally lost on what was happening. His agape mouth and furrowed brows seemed to have amused both Phineas and Baljeet. _Are they implying what he thinks they're implying?_

"Oh, you must be confused. We've been keeping up on you guys." Baljeet tried to clarify but that only made Buford even more confused.

"What? What do you mean by that?" Buford demanded.

"Oh you know, just the day to day stuff that you guys go through. But you don't have to worry, we don't go over the line. We still respect your boundaries." Baljeet explained.

"We tried so hard to communicate with you guys. You see when you're recently deceased, creating a disturbance in the physical world is almost impossible." Phineas added. "But the word 'impossible' has never really been in my vocabulary."

"Yeah! if you could have only seen the amount of effort it took both of us to make a single light flicker." Baljeet chimed in.

"After that, we moved on to sending butterflies to the girls. Then we tried materializing, though Baljeet was the only one successful at first" Phineas rambled, exactly like how he would if he was still alive.

_Wait, they sent the girls butterflies? They didn't happen to be black in color and all over Pinky… right?_

"But now, as you can see, we both finally did it. I can say that we've fully mastered tampering with the physical world, _and we're only getting stronger by the day._ " Baljeet finished with a smile that sent shivers down Buford's spine.

Buford's jaw dropped completely after hearing everything they just said. His mind was filled with a million questions—all of them overlapping each other. _What do they mean they're getting stronger? Are they planning on doing something?_ He wanted to vocalize all of them but he settled on the one that his mind lingered the most on.

"You guys have been spying on us?!"

"No! You're making us sound like creeps. We're just checking in every day to make sure you guys are okay." Baljeet replied.

"How long…" Buford found it difficult to pull words and form coherent sentences. "For how long?"

"Ever since my funeral," Phineas replied simply.

Buford's mind instantly went back to that time and remembered how an icy chill quickly swept the entire room—stunning everyone. Many people were still bewildered by that strange occurrence up to this day. _Were Phineas and Baljeet responsible for that too?_

"I must be going crazy." Buford breathed out. His hands found his hair and began tugging on it. "I've officially lost it. You guys aren't real. I'm talking to no one."

"Not real? If I were you I'd be careful with what I let slip out of my tongue." Phineas said, his tone taking on a hostile turn.

"Phineas I think he wants proof," Baljeet said. Buford heard loud and clear how insulted Baljeet was just by his voice. Oh god, he hoped he hadn't angered them. He knew damn well how terrifying Phineas could be when he's angry.

"Fine. Then _proof_ is exactly what he'll get. " Phineas said in an unnervingly calm voice.

"Ayo Byoof, they need us in— Hey you alright man?" He heard Griffin call out outside.

He brought his hands down and saw Griffin's worried face instead of Phineas and Baljeet's lifeless ones. He scanned the entire room, trying to find where they could've possibly gone.

"Yeah, I'm good. I just have a headache." Buford lied.

That seemed to have appeased Griffin. "Oh. I can give you some Tylenol for that later. Anyways, they need two people in the kitchen to move some stuff."

Buford nodded then he followed Griffin to the kitchen. His head was spinning. He might actually be coming down with a headache after all. Buford still can't believe what just happened in the bathroom. A side of him was fully convinced that it was a real interaction with his dead friends but the other convinced him otherwise.

Chefs and the rest of the kitchen staff running around and shouting orders at one another were the first thing Buford and Griffin saw when they arrived. The place was bustling in a frenzy but it amused both teenage boys.

They immediately got to work lifting heavy machinery from station to station, making sure to be mindful of the chefs that were running around, carrying various items in the kitchen. It didn't take them long to do their job and before they knew it they were done. They were already on their way to the exit when they heard a frantic voice behind them.

"Careful, CAREFUL!" A chef, carrying several sharp knives cried out.

"Byoof, WATCH OUT!" Griffin yelled.

Buford froze on the spot. The knives were aimed at his neck but his legs refused to move from their place. As the knives accelerated to his direction at a fast rate, Buford could only close his eyes and accept what was about to happen to him

A pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and roughly pushed him down. He felt a searing pain on his lower cheek that was quickly followed by a warm liquid dripping down to his neck. There was a clattering noise beside him and a low grunt he assumed created by the chef.

Buford opened his eyes and found him, Griffin, and the chef all sprawled out on the floor. All of the kitchen staff immediately crowded over them and started helping the three of them up.

"Oh my god, Buford. You're bleeding man!" Griffin exclaimed.

Buford gingerly brought a hand to his lower right cheek and felt the sting of the cut right away.

"We have a first-aid kit in the break room, right?" Buford asked. Once he saw one of the kitchen staff nodding, he darted straight to the break room.

He swore he heard Phineas and Baljeet laughing faintly as he was nursing his wound. He presumed that this was their twisted way of proving that they weren't only a figment of his imagination. Baljeet's words started ringing in his head again.

"... _we're only getting stronger by the day_."

They started with flickering lights and sending butterflies to imposing harm on others. This was starting to get serious. Buford knew he needed to tell someone about this now. He has to tell Ferb and Isabella everything now.

With his cheek still stinging, Buford took out his phone and dialled Ferb's number.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing this one! I feel like my story is slowly coming together. We’ll know how the three will react to hearing one another’s supernatural experiences in the next chapter! 
> 
> Leave a review if you can and I’ll see you guys soon. :)


	10. The Calm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Phineas and Baljeet acted out of character in the last chapter, but I have an explanation for that! It'll be in the next chapter so keep reading if you wanna know!

The rain poured down harshly on Danville that night. Every news outlet confirmed that a storm has been brewing up in their city. The windshield wipers waved back and forth as Ferb drove at an accelerated speed with Isabella in the passenger's seat. The phone call that he just got from Buford plus this bad weather had his knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel with unease. Buford didn't provide many details, but he sounded vehement on getting both him and Isabella to meet him at the diner he worked at immediately.

"Do you know why he wants to meet out of the blue?" Isabella asked, breaking the perturbing silence.

Ferb shook his head. "No, but his voice sounded unusual."

"Unusual?" Isabella quirked an eyebrow.

"He sounded deeply troubled. I fear something might have happened."

A worried look spread across Isabella's face. _Did something trigger Buford to go into an emotional spiral?_ She hoped not. This had been one of her concerns when she first learned of Buford's employment. You just never know when or where you'll have a mental breakdown.

A million things could've caused Buford to lose his cool. Isabella could only hope that it hadn't been anything serious. She checked the time on Ferb's car stereo. At least Buford's shift was over now. If something serious did happen, then they had an extended period to discuss it.

"I hope he's okay," Isabella said under her breath. She heard Ferb hum in agreement.

Isabella started to shiver and began rubbing her arms for warmth. The rain combined with the chilling bite of autumn made Isabella regret not taking the time to dress warmly. Ferb noticed and immediately reached out to turn the heater on Isabella's car seat.

"Thanks Ferb." Isabella smiled.

"I have an extra sweater at the back. Would you like to borrow it?" Ferb asked.

"Yes, please! Crazy how you're much more of a Fireside Girl than me when it comes to emergency preparedness. And I was their freakin' leader!" Isabella said with a laugh.

"Wait, are you telling me that after all those years of hanging out with you we're still not considered as one?" Ferb asked, feigning dismay.

"No, you guys totally are!" Isabella giggled, going along with the bit. "Now how'd you know I was secretly training all of you?"

"I may have noticed how most of our inventions ended up helping you and your associates earn patches," Ferb smirked in amusement as he watched Isabella purse her lips in thought. Isabella immediately burst out laughing at the sudden realization.

"Huh. Guess you guys really are Fireside Girls after all."

* * *

Ferb and Isabella's arrival was announced by a little bell installed on the diner's door entrance. Buford, who had been occupying one of the diner's booths, lifted his head and saw Ferb and Isabella looking around for him.

"There!" He heard Isabella say while nudging Ferb into looking at his direction.

They walked towards him and sat down beside him in the booth. Now that they were at a much closer range, Isabella was able to get a full view of Buford's face. She let out a gasp when she saw the diagonal cut on her friend's lower right cheek.

"What happened to you?" Isabella asked.

"An accident involving knives." Came Buford's gruff reply. "Almost got my throat slit back there."

Ferb winced and Isabella's eyes widened. A stuttering noise came from the back of her throat and her eyelids started fluttering wildly.

"What?!" Isabella exclaimed.

"But I'm okay. Stuff happens, ya know?" Buford replied. "So, uh, how was everybody's day?"

Ferb stared at Buford, trying to read him. He's trying to figure out why he's acting all casual when just earlier he was freaking out on the phone with him. Judging by his shifty eyes and nervous demeanour, Ferb could tell that he was stalling. The question was: On what? Ferb turned to Isabella and noticed that she has caught on this too.

"Mine was okay. Ginger and I hung out after school."

"That's cool. That's cool."

"Yeah," Isabella smiled. "So what's up? Why'd you call us up here?"

"Yes, about that," Buford sighed in agitation. "Uh, there's something you two should know."

Somber lines formed on Buford's face and the light that hung above their booth intensified them. Ferb and Isabella glanced at each other. Something about Buford's voice sent worry immediately pulsating through them.

"I don't really know how to preface this so I'm just gonna go straight right in," Buford bowed his head and fidgeted with his hands. "Lately, I've been seeing Phineas and Baljeet's ghosts."

There was a beat. The air suddenly felt heavy and suffocating. Buford lifted his head slowly, and just as he suspected, Ferb and Isabella's faces were a mixture of shock and confusion.

"I beg your pardon?" Ferb's voice surfaced for the first time since they arrived.

"I had been seeing them. I know how it sounds, but I swear I'm telling the truth." Buford said, his voice taking on a pleading tone. Everyone who knew Buford knows that it was the tone he rarely used and saved only for situations like this.

Ferb's gaze fell, and he bit his lower lip in contemplation. Buford grimaced. He really shouldn't be mentioning his brother as he knows that it was still a tender subject for Ferb. Isabella, on the other hand, was left slack-jawed.

"Wait, wait, wait… Am I hearing this correctly? You've been seeing… them?" Isabella asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Isabella."

"Since when?"

"Since our first day back in school."

Stunned, Isabella fell silent. _Their first day back? That long?_ She felt a twinge in her heart upon learning that Buford has kept this from them for that long. That twinge quickly dissolved into a sympathetic understanding though. She assumed that Buford must have been too disconcerted that processing all of it, let alone telling someone about it, must have been strenuous for his mental health.

Isabella slowly found her voice again. "How about earlier this morning at the lockers? Did you… Was that...?"

"Yes, but I only saw one of them."

"Who?"

"Baljeet. He was right behind you earlier."

A wave of horror washed over Isabella. She had no idea why, but she knew that fact was going to haunt her for a very long time. She had so many questions, but she didn't really know if she wanted to hear the answers to all of them. Sacrificing her peace was just too much of a cost to pay for her curiosity.

Buford felt regret swell up in his gut. He had been right. He knew this would upset both his friends, but he just couldn't keep this bottled up anymore. After all, nobody understood him better than Ferb and Isabella. He could only hope that this act of keeping his sanity intact wouldn't be harmful to them.

"They also said that they've been here this whole time. Watching us and sending messages." Buford added.

"Messages?" Isabella questioned.

"Yeah, like making lights flicker and…" Buford hesitated. _He probably shouldn't mention the butterflies_. "And other things."

"Wait, if they're already dead then why are they still here?" Isabella asked.

"I'm also wondering the same thing," Buford replied.

"What if they still have some unfinished business here on earth?" Isabella suggested.

"That's a possibility," Buford said.

"Then we should help them get across to the afterlife! We need to have a seance." Isabella asserted.

"But how do we even know if it's them? This thing," Buford pointed at his wound. "They're the ones responsible for this. _They can hurt us, Isabella_."

The atmosphere suddenly shifted, forcing the three to sit in strained silence for a couple of minutes. Ferb and Isabella carefully took in Buford's words. He was right. Phineas and Baljeet would never hurt anyone, especially Phineas. They were the two most docile people in their friend group—hell, in the entire city of Danville—when they were still alive. If it's not them then, who or _what_ exactly are they dealing with right here?

"We should still try to communicate with them. There's got to be a reason why they're still here. Don't you feel sympathy for these poor lost souls?" Isabella asked.

"Yeah, I totally feel sympathy for entities that just tried to kill me."

Isabella turned to Ferb in desperation. "Ferb? A little help here?"

"Look, Buford. No force on earth has ever stopped my brother's determination. Now that he's beyond death, that determination could prove fatal to us. If we don't do something, they could hurt more people." Ferb reasoned.

"Okay fine." Buford breathed out in surrender. He hated the fact that Ferb also shared the same determination as Phineas. He knew that Ferb was going to go through with the seance even without him and Isabella, so he might as well be there to protect them in case anything happens. "A seance it is. Do any of you own occult stuff?"

"I know some people who do. Don't ask." Isabella answered.

"Okay, can you get on that?" Buford asked to which Isabella nodded. "Where are we going to have it? Whose house is available?"

Buford looked at Ferb with anticipation but Ferb shook his head.

"Isabella?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Fine." Buford rolled his eyes. "My place tomorrow at eight."

"In the meantime, let's all head to my home and get that wound properly treated," Isabella said as they all began to stand up. "Come on, I just baked cookies."

"Let me guess. They're shaped like turtles, right?" Buford said.

"Wha—How did you know that?" Isabella asked, completely taken aback. "Did Ginger text you or something?"

"No. Phineas told me."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh things are about to get spooky!
> 
> Sorry, it took me long to update. Truthfully speaking, I wrote this for 6 days (pathetic, I know.) because my brain just refused to work with me. Hopefully, I can make it up to you guys with the next chapter. :/ I cut out and recopied some specific information in this chapter so many times! But I figured that it would probably overwhelm all of you so I just decided to put that information in the future chapters instead!


	11. The Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, this scene was actually the first one I came up with while planning the plot of this fic. I thought one part of the dialogue here hinted so hard on the general theme of this story so I made it the title of this story.

Isabella ran up to the Van Stomm residence and rang their doorbell. Tonight was the night they were having the seance, and Isabella would be lying if she denied feeling nervous. She waited outside in the cold for a few minutes before Buford finally answered the door with an apologetic smile. Normally this annoys people, but Isabella has grown accustomed to these types of stuff after years of being Buford's friend.

"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting. Ferb and I were just starting to set up. Come on in," Buford said while ushering Isabella in.

"Mrs. Van Stomm not home?" Isabella asked as she scanned the house.

"Yeah, my grandma's feeling a bit under the weather. She said she was gonna spend the night at their house to take care of her." Buford replied. "Come on, let's join Ferb upstairs."

Buford and Isabella walked up the stairs and headed to his room, where they saw Ferb tinkering with a small contraption on the floor. When he saw them walk in, he stopped momentarily and raised his eyebrows in acknowledgment.

"Hey, whatcha doin'?" Isabella asked. The nostalgic catchphrase brought a smile to the boys' faces.

"Just adding the finishing touches to this machine," Ferb replied.

"What is it? What's it for?"

"A device I engineered that will emit ultrasonic frequencies in case things get out of hand tonight, and we needed to defend ourselves,"

"Is it like something that will drive spirits away?" Isabella asked, and Ferb nodded in confirmation. "But won't exposure to high frequencies be harmful to us though?"

"Yes, but only after prolonged exposure. That's why I programmed it to stop after five minutes of being activated," Ferb responded.

"That's neat Fletcher! And I assume this is what we press to set it in motion?" Isabella asked, pointing at one of the buttons. Ferb smiled and nodded.

"Let's just hope we wouldn't need to use that," Buford said timorously.

* * *

Buford's bedroom possessed a different ambience now that they were finished setting up. The trio were seated on the floor, circling an ouija board. The candles cast a soft amber glow on their faces and illuminated the dark room just enough to see. Isabella lit two incenses and set each of them beside Phineas and Baljeet's polaroids.

"Are all phones off?" Isabella asked and both boys nodded. "Okay hands on the planchette guys."

No official decision was declared, but it was mutually agreed upon that Isabella will be the one leading the seance. It just made sense that she'd be the one conducting it since being associated with someone who knew about dark magic made her the most eligible out of the three of them.

"Okay, here goes," Isabella muttered nervously. "Phineas, Baljeet… are you guys here with us?"

The three waited in cold sweat for a response. Isabella opened her mouth to say something but before she could, the planchette slid across swiftly and stopped on the **'YES'** sign, startling all of them.

 _Okay, so they're here. That's not unnerving at all._ Isabella reached inside and forced herself to channel her Fireside Girl persona. Her heartbeat was racing, but she refused to let fear sink its claws in her.

"We just have a couple of questions we'd like to ask, okay?" Isabella said in a voice she used to soothe her friends.

The planchette slid again and dragged their arms over on the alphabet letters. It darted across the board until it spelled **'WE KNOW'**.

Isabella looked on over to Ferb and Buford for reassurance and realized that both of them shared her panic. Ferb nodded encouragingly and gestured for her to continue when he noticed her staring.

"We just wanna know if you guys are okay." Isabella didn't know why she felt emotional all of a sudden. It was a question that stemmed deep down in her heart ever since they died.

They anticipated the planchette to slide again, but what it did instead almost sent one of them into a cardiac arrest. The board flipped violently and catapulted on the wall, making a sharp cracking sound. The action happened so fast all they were able to do was watch helplessly as the board split in half. _They didn't offend them with that question now, did they?_

They wished they had a warning before they slowly turned their heads back. Phineas and Baljeet stood in front of them with an unsettling grin exacerbated by the candles illuminating their faces from below.

"I'm sorry, it's impossible not to play along." Phineas laughed. "We appreciate the seance and all, but we could've saved you all the trouble if you just asked us to materialize. Didn't you tell them that Buford?"

Their breaths caught in their throats, and their brains briefly stopped working. This went on for a full minute before Isabella eventually broke the silence spell.

"He did." She uttered weakly. "Why are you guys still here? Why haven't you both crossed to the afterlife yet?"

"No, we have. You guys will never believe it, the afterlife and this city are so similar to each other. It's like living in Danville—only better!" Baljeet replied.

"It's true. We actually thought we survived the accident when we first 'woke up' there," Phineas chuckled, doing air quotes. "It's a haven. The only thing that differentiates it from Danville is the element of sanctity it has."

"Well, if it's a much better place, then why are you two still here? Do you both have some unfinished business here on earth?" Isabella asked gently.

Buford stared at Isabella, baffled by her lack of fear. She was talking to the ones who just attempted to cut his throat yesterday for heaven's sake! If this was all an act, then she was doing a great job at masking it.

"I guess you can say we still have _unfinished business_. You see, the afterlife isn't as fun of a place to be in with just the two of us there." Phineas replied glumly.

Something about Phineas' wording made Isabella, Ferb, and Buford tense up. That could be interpreted in a million ways but a general idea was starting to form in their heads—and none of them found it pretty so far.

"What are you trying to say?" Buford demanded.

"We can't possibly stay there without your humour, Buford. Or without Isabella's sweet and bouncy personality! And I sure won't survive without Ferb's mechanical prowess. Don't you know how agonizing it is coming up with new projects all on your own?" Phineas explained.

"I'm sorry, I'm confused. How does that correlate with your unfinished business exactly?" Isabella asked.

"What Phineas is trying to say is we can never be at peace if our group is incomplete," Baljeet answered. "But there's something that only the three of you can do to help fix that problem."

"Whatever it is, we'll gladly help you! Just tell us what we should do." Isabella said, nodding her head eagerly.

"Join us in the afterlife," Phineas said.

An eerie atmosphere enshrouded the room. It was succinct but it hit the three of them like a bullet. That validated the idea that was stirring up in their heads—the one that they tried to push away with desperate rationality.

"I know it sounds insane, but trust me when I say it's for the better. We know you guys are hurting—it will be like killing two birds with one stone! Think about it." Phineas justified.

"What kind of sick joke is this?" Buford barked out. "We're your friends for crying out loud! And you want us to _die_?"

"Listen, our intentions are pure. We all saw how broken you guys had been at my funeral, that's why we swore we would alleviate the suffering our deaths caused all of you." Phineas turned to Ferb. "Remember Ferb?"

Ferb recalled hearing a strange and cryptic message on his headphones the day of Phineas' funeral. He figured that it had been them who sent it based on what Buford told them yesterday. _But how exactly will they carry out that plan?_

"And you're going to do that by killing us?" Isabella asked, her voice quivering.

Phineas and Baljeet started howling in laughter.

"Technically, we could do that—I could snap all of your carotid arteries in just a blink of an eye. But that would be too cruel, don't you think?" Phineas replied with an insincere smile.

Their mouths hung in terror.

"Too cruel? What are you guys planning on then?" Buford demanded.

"I think you know _,_ " Baljeet replied.

"If you're implying that we should kill ourselves, you can forget it. It ain't gonna happen." Buford said aggressively.

"We were afraid you'll say that. Guess we'll have to go with our second plan," Baljeet said, nudging Phineas.

"You guys remember Oliver Montgomery? That was such a tragedy, wasn't it? Baljeet and I learned the truth about what really caused his suicide—or rather, _who_ pushed him to do it, _Buford_." Phineas said with a knowing look.

Buford paled. _The freshman who took his own life and shook their entire school to the core three years ago._

Baljeet looked at Isabella next. "And what or _who_ really drove Sofía Garcia to insanity."

Isabella immediately turned away in shame and started tearing up. Ferb looked at his two friends in puzzlement. _Why were they acting weird? They didn't have anything to do with Oliver Montgomery's suicide or the unfortunate mental decline of Isabella's cousin, right?_

"How—?" Buford began but was cut short.

"How did we know that? Well, one of the things that death grants you is learning the secrets of the universe." Phineas said calmly. "Including the buried sins of every individual living in it.

Isabella felt utterly disgusted at the realization that the ones who she considered family were going to use guilt to push them over the edge.

"You guys aren't the same people I once knew." Isabella choked out through tears.

"I assure you, it's still us Isabella—only with evolved principles. After all, gaining absolute comprehension of the world advances one's perspective." Phineas said.

Seeing both his friends at their emotional limit, Ferb decided to break his silence and step in for them.

"It's an appealing offer Phineas, but we're going to have to decline," Ferb said, looking his brother dead in the eye.

"Oh, but it isn't an offer Ferb," Phineas said.

"Is that a threat?" Ferb asked brusquely.

"No, of course not!" Phineas said in a honeyed voice. " _It's a warning_."

Ferb's heart dropped. His vision of the three of them dead flashed by his mind. There was no way in hell he was going to let that come true.

"You're mad as a hatter if you think for even a second, I'll allow that to happen," Ferb said firmly.

Phineas made a face then looked at him incredulously. "Wow, this is new. You're usually always on board with me. The thing is Ferb, the more that you three resist, the more turbulent this roller coaster ride will get. You don't know just how powerful the one you're trying to antagonize here."

"Powerful?" Ferb scoffed. "How powerful are we talking about here?"

Phineas shot Ferb a bone-chilling look. Without warning, Ferb's head jerked backwards as if he had been struck by an unknown force. Isabella and Buford immediately caught him and held him in place before he fell all the way back.

"Ferb!" Isabella and Buford yelped in unison.

Their friend remained motionless with his head bowed for a moment.

"Ferb…?" Isabella whispered.

As if on cue, Ferb gradually lifted his head back, twitching as he went, and revealed his whited-out eyes. A hollow smile tugged on his lips as his nose began to bleed.

" **This powerful.** "

They heard Phineas' voice instead of a soft British accent come out of their friend's mouth. Isabella felt nauseated at the amount of blood dripping out of Ferb's nose.

This has got to be hurting Ferb. She needs to find a way to get Phineas out of Ferb's body and out of Buford's room as soon as possible. _Wait, the device Ferb built!_ Isabella turned around and reached back to activate it.

Once it was set in motion, an unholy screeching immediately erupted inside the room. A cacophony of familiar screaming and hellish noises making the walls in Buford's room vibrate. _Ferb's device was working. It was driving Phineas and Baljeet away._

"Buford hit the lights!" Isabella commanded. At the urgency of her voice, Buford sprang up and ran to the light switch.

They were a hundred percent certain that they were having a glimpse of hell in those five minutes. The moment the flames in the candles blew out, Isabella knew that Phineas and Baljeet were completely gone. Both of them breathed out in relief once the calmness finally settled in.

Isabella put a hand on Buford's shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah. How about you?" Buford asked.

"I'm good," Isabella replied.

Their temporary relief was disturbed when they heard a dull thud on the floor. They turned and saw Ferb lying on his back, unconscious. When they saw that his nose was still bleeding profusely, they ran up to him and held him in a sitting position to prevent airway obstruction.

As Isabella held Ferb, she stared at Buford defeatedly as he wiped the blood from their unconscious friend's nose.

 _This was unfair_. How in the hell were they supposed to fight back in a war rigged against their favor?

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buried Sins = Guilty Conscience! Man, this was a strenuous chapter to write.
> 
> Ooooh I'm so excited to get into the mystery of Oscar Montgomery and Sofía Garcia and to break the main characters! (not really oh boy poor guys)


	12. Eureka!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyo it’s me Blue! I meant to post this earlier this week but I got sidetracked straightening out a couple of stuff to change this story’s ending. Originally this story will have a grim ending but because I love you all to bits, I changed it to be cathartic instead. Notice how I didn’t say a happy ending? You’re welcome in advance. :) 
> 
> Maybe I’ll post the original one as an alternate ending? I dunno, who knows :P

Ferb groaned and snapped the book he had been reading shut in frustration. _Useless! There's got to be something in these books that can help them with their current situation._ His hands flew up to his hair, tugged tightly on a handful it caught, then dragged down on his face.

Buford grumbled and lifted his head off the table. "Ugh, can you keep it down Ferb? It's like there's a tornado in my head right now."

Ferb shot him an apologetic look and grabbed the third book he borrowed from the school's library. He started to flip through its pages, his finger index finger gliding across every word he read like it would direct him to the answer he was after. Phineas and Baljeet were on the move and he needed to act fast. He needs to come up with something that will derail what Phineas and Baljeet had been scheming.

"Here, Ferb. I found this book containing a list of unproven hypotheses by scientists. Thought we could borrow some ideas." Isabella said, slipping it towards Ferb before sitting beside him.

Ferb closed the one he was currently holding and took the one Isabella passed him, smiling at her in gratitude. Buford raised his head off his folded arms again and glared at them from across the table. _It was like the only thing these two could make was noise!_

"Sorry, Buford. How's your head?" Isabella asked in concern.

"Fantastic," Buford replied curtly.

Isabella raised an eyebrow and clenched her jaw at Buford's unwelcomed sarcasm. Isabella was ready to pounce back when she remembered that he's been like this ever since the seance. Buford would come to school with dark bags under his eyes and complain about how his head was killing him. Isabella supposed that if she had to deal with that for an entire week, she'd get easily peeved at everything too.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. It's just I feel like my head's going to explode." Buford said, drawing circles on his right temple with his knuckles.

"It's alright Buford," Isabella said before turning to Ferb. "How's research going? Find anything useful?"

"None so far," Ferb replied with a heavy sigh.

"What are we going to do?" Isabella groaned. "I don't wanna live in fear of what Phineas and Baljeet might pull on us."

"We're not completely hopeless yet. We still have technology in our advantage to counter them," Ferb said optimistically. "However, there is still something that isn't making sense to me."

"Hm? What's that?" Isabella tilted her head.

Ferb shifted his torso to face her. "Why did Phineas and Baljeet mention that kid Oliver and your cousin? I just don't see how they play a part in all of this."

Ferb saw Buford tense up from his peripheral vision. Confusion weaved through his brows as he watched the question paralyze every inch of Isabella's being save for her eyelids, which were fluttering wildly.

"Oh, um, I don't—I don't really, I mean, I was confused as well… at the time, uh..." Isabella rubbed the back of her neck as if Ferb's gaze had a straining effect on it. _Good lord, how she wanted to disappear right now!_

"Hey! Mind if I sit with you guys?"

The stiffness in the air cleared instantly at the sudden existence of an affable presence. Isabella couldn't help but break out in a grin upon seeing Ginger.

"Ginger! Yes, of course! Please, join us."

"Uh, okay...?" Ginger made a face at Isabella's strange tone. She swore she heard pleading under all those layers in her cheerful greeting. She took a seat next to Buford, noticing that Ferb was also eyeing Isabella strangely. "You know I consider myself pretty studious, but I'd never spend my lunch studying."

Isabella forced out a fake laugh. "We just thought we should get a head start for our next period."

"Bio right? Have you guys had lunch yet?" Ginger asked.

Ferb and Isabella sheepishly shook their heads in unison. Ginger's eyes widened in surprise. She was about to give a speech about the importance of taking care of one's self when she heard Buford grumbling beside her.

"What's up with him?" Ginger whispered.

"A bad case of migraine. He's had it for an entire week." Isabella replied.

"An entire week? Buford, you should get that checked! Do you wanna maybe stop by at my house later so my mom can take a look at you?" Ginger tried to make her voice softer as to not worsen Buford's discomfort.

"Thanks, but I don't really have the money to get checked right now," Buford said weakly.

"Aw, come on. You're a long-time friend! I'm sure I can get my mom to examine you pro bono." Ginger smiled enthusiastically.

Buford reached up and put a hand on Ginger's shoulder. "You're the best Ginger."

"In the meantime, I think I have some Tylenol in my locker. Come with me." Ginger rose from her seat and offered her hand to Buford. Buford accepted it, and they both left the library.

"Not even a farewell." Ferb chuckled lightly.

"It's like we're not even here!" Isabella added. _Ha! Now she has someone to tease Ginger about._

The sight of Ferb burrowing himself back to the book made her remember that she still hasn't given him a proper answer to his question yet. She immediately got up from her seat, stumbling slightly as a result of her haste. She needed to get away before he remembers.

"Hey, um, I'll just browse around some more. Check if there's more stuff that can help us figure out… you know," Before Ferb can even nod, Isabella was already out of sight.

Ferb blinked, his eyebrows slowly knitting together. _Did he do something that upset Isabella?_ Ferb shook his head, bringing attention back to the book. _He'll have to ask her later._ For now, he needed to take in every resource he had to aid him in building something that would get them out of this shitshow.

Maybe he should make another device that would emit ultrasonic frequencies. That worked before, or so he'd been told. He'd just need to make a few changes to make it less harmful for them. But it would continue to chip away at their health, so they'd have to shut it down eventually. Ferb sighed. This solution doesn't fix anything—it would just delay the inevitable. So that settles it. Ultrasonic Frequencies: **Too pernicious.**

How about a portal to the astral realm? The playing field would be at least level there. If they could get in and somehow close whatever bridges the afterlife and the astral realm together, their survival would be guaranteed. One small problem though: Didn't Phineas say dark entities hunted down the likes of him in there? Phineas and Baljeet wouldn't be the only ones who they'd have to deal with in the astral realm. _Damn it._ Portal to the Astral Realm: **Too dangerous.**

Ferb dropped the book open on the table and hammered his wrists onto his forehead in frustration. He needed to think! Their lives were on the line here! There's a variable that he's just not seeing. But what? He needed to reassess the problem—look at it from a different angle. He needed to dismantle it. Trace everything down to its sheer molecular level. He needed to find the root of the problem.

Wait a minute. Ferb facepalmed. _The root of the problem._ How could he have not thought about that before?

Ferb picked the book up again and started to flip a few pages forward, his eyes on hyper-alert as he scanned every page. He continued until the page he was frantically seeking appeared right in front of him.

**One of The Biggest Conundrums in the Scientific Domain: Time Travel.**

Ferb grinned. "Eureka."

* * *

"I don't know. I guess everything, no matter how beautiful, has to end eventually. Don't get me wrong, he was an amazing boyfriend and I miss him every day, but it was just his time to go. You know what I mean?"

Buford listened to Ginger talk about Baljeet the entire time, offering a couple of comforting taps on the shoulder when she'd get too emotional. He was glad he had a proper excuse for the discomfort written all over his face from listening to her talk fondly about someone who had just terrorized them not too long ago.

As they continued their stroll towards her locker, they passed by the wall their school designated to commemorate the boy who left a lasting dent on the school's very heart. Buford stopped on his tracks to take everything in sight. Students were still leaving flowers on the floor, and post-it notes holding heartfelt messages continued to decorate the wall.

But the thing that caught Buford's attention the most was the image of the boy with curly butterscotch hair smiling brightly on the banner that hung from the wall.

The same boy who he pushed to the floor countless times as a "joke" and laughed at that one time he sprained his ankle and asked for help on getting up.

The same boy who he told to learn to take a joke whenever he would try to stand up for himself from the harassment he would receive from him and his jock friends in the middle of the school halls.

The same boy who he continued to verbally abuse even though he would come to school noticeably in worse shape than the day before.

That boy that used to have curly butterscotch hair and a bright smile to go along with his bright outlook on life.

_That innocent boy who he broke mercilessly._

Ginger sensed Buford was no longer walking beside her. She spun around and saw what made Buford halt. She bowed her head respectfully and started walking towards him.

"I know. A real tragedy isn't it?" Ginger spoke solemnly. "Oliver Montgomery was one of those kids who had the potential to make such a positive impact on the world. Such a shame Danville lost him when he took a bullet to the head."

Buford bowed his head and tried to ignore that sudden heaviness that settled in his chest. Now it was Ginger's turn to pat Buford comfortingly on his shoulder. Buford met Ginger's soft gaze and smiled at the sweet gesture. _Will he still have friends by his side once they find out what he did?_

"Come on, let's continue walking," Buford said.

* * *

Buford stared at his reflection from Ginger's locker door. My god, he wasn't aware he looked _that_ terrible. He almost felt ashamed to be seen by people in this state.

"Here you go!" Ginger chirped as she gave him the Tylenol. "Oh, you need water. Hold on."

Buford watched Ginger rummage through her locker again when a familiar face made himself known from the locker door's reflection.

He spun around and expected to see _him_ there but there was nobody except an empty hallway that stretched for a few feet.

Buford suddenly felt like he was underwater, and the throbbing pain on the right side of his head heightened. He wasn't even aware that Ginger had been calling his name until she shook him back to his senses.

"Hey! Buford! Come back to earth."

"Oh, sorry. Can you repeat what you said?"

"I said you can have my water. Here, take it." Ginger said, handing her water bottle to Buford.

Buford took it and popped the Tylenol in his mouth. "Thanks, Ginger."

"You're welcome." Ginger smiled shyly at Buford. "Wanna head back now?"

Buford nodded. They turned on their heel and started walking back, but as they were walking, Buford turned his head just enough to scan the entire floor again, making sure his suspicion was wrong.

Because for a moment there, he really thought for sure he saw Baljeet.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t know about you guys, but I have a bad feeling about Ginger and Buford. ;) 
> 
> This was a pretty chill chapter, eh? Time to rouse things up again in the next one. Hopefully, mental health won’t interfere so I can get it to all of you asap. 
> 
> I’ll see you guys soon. (hopefully!) :)


	13. Goosebumps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO SORRY I'VE BEEN AWAY FOR SO LONG! Here, you guys deserve a long chapter for being so patient. A little warning though: Things get a little crazy here. Just a bit. ;)

The pencil hovered on the blueprint. Ferb bit his lip in concentration as he analyzed the paper, trying to locate any mistakes that had managed to slip by him. He has spent the entire afternoon locked in his bedroom designing his blueprint, nitpicking and correcting every error he sees down to its minute detail.

Once a hundred percent certain his blueprint was faultless, he blew out a breath and slid his pencil behind his ear. He picked it off his desk and held it up in the air, admiring the beauty of his hard work. Holding the embodiment of their hope in his hands sent an electrifying sensation throughout his entire body. _This piece of paper is the key to the thing that will change everything. This will enable them to stand a fighting chance against Phineas and Baljeet._

He had been so absorbed in his own little bubble that he didn't even hear the soft knock on his door followed by the sound of it creaking open.

"What are you working on?"

Ferb immediately hid the paper he was holding under a variety of items he had on his desk at the sound of his mother's voice. He swivelled his chair around and gave Linda, who was smiling at him amusedly, a shrug.

"Well, whatever it is I hope it can wait until after dinner. Come on, I made lasagna." Linda said as she approached him and gave his head an affectionate pat.

Ferb nodded with a smile. He pointed to the mess on his desk and explained through gesticulations that he'll be down once he's done cleaning it.

"Alright." Linda made her way to the door but stopped when she reached the handle. "Oh, and Ferb? Could you get your sister in the basement and ask her to join us for dinner?"

The smile on Ferb's lips fell. _Why him?_ He and Candace still haven't spoken to each other ever since their nasty fight a month ago. Some hurtful words from that night still stung, but Ferb knew that he had contributed to the fire by providing fuel—by losing his temper first.

He figured this was their mother's way of trying to tear down the protective wall that grew and separated the two of them. Ferb suddenly felt guilty. Seeing their two remaining children grow apart instead of working through their grief together must've been strenuous for their parents. Trying to mask his discomfort, he gave his mother an obedient nod.

* * *

Ferb stood at Candace's door, mentally preparing himself for the worst case scenario. He took a deep breath and knocked on her door three times.

His heartbeat raced the more he stood and waited in silence. Finally, the door opened and Candace, who had a phone up her ear, came into view.

"Mom, I told you—" There was a hint of surprise in Candace's decorous expression when she saw the person standing at her door. "I'll call you back Stace." She said then she hung up her phone.

They stared at each other for half a minute, unsure of what to say. Ferb pointed up to the stairs, hoping that his sister will pick up on what he's trying to say without him having to vocalize it.

"Oh, uh, tell Mom I'll be up in a minute," Candace said. Ferb nodded and turned on his heel to leave. "Ferb wait,"

Ferb turned around. There was contemplation on Candace's face. Her mouth opened and moved hesitantly, like there was something she wanted to say but something deep within her prevented it from leaving her mouth.

"I uh… nevermind." Candace shook her head and shut her door, leaving Ferb in the hallway alone and confused.

* * *

Everyone in the Flynn Fletcher household slept peacefully that night. Whether it had been the food their mother made, the laughs they shared for the first time in months, or Candace's improving mood earlier during dinner, they weren't sure. All they knew was that the wound their family suffered from was finally starting to heal.

Ferb woke up from his slumber feeling cold. He went on to move his blanket up only to realize—he can't move. His eyes snapped open in panic and his heart started hammering in his chest. _Wait, what's going on? Why can't he move?_

He let out a weak grunt as he mustered all of his strength to get a single limb to move, but still nothing. Well, at least his eyes can still move around. His breathing soon became labored but it wasn't only because of the sudden weight pressing down on his chest, it was also because he sensed that he was no longer alone in his room.

He looked around the best he could with his limited vision, trying to find who was keeping him company. Goosebumps flared up from his body when he saw a shadowy figure standing in a dark corner. The way its eyes glowed as it stared at him sent a chill down Ferb's spine.

"Try all you want but during episodes of sleep paralysis, the body won't respond to the brain no matter how hard it tries to wake up."

Phineas emerged from the dark corner and approached his bed. Ferb could only watch as his brother walked towards him and stopped on the right side of his bed, only a feet away from him. With the short distance, Ferb was able to get a full look at Phineas' appearance.

The pupil in one of his eyes looked as if it had been blasted and split into rings while the other eye was completely pitch black, devoid of any remnant of optic matter. His limbs were all elongated and bent in positions that looked painful. Dark veins wrapped around them and crawled all the way up to his ashen face, making him all the more grotesque looking.

Ferb didn't recall Phineas looking this scary on the night they had the seance. Everything about him was just so… hellish. When he smiled, Ferb caught a glimpse of a never-ending row of teeth embedded in bloody gums inside his mouth. This wasn't the same Phineas he saw before indeed. This was someone different.

He didn't want to entertain the idea too much but it's almost as if what's currently standing in front of him was a _demon_.

"I know what you've been up to." Menace was present in Phineas' tone. "Seriously? Opposing us Ferb? You should know better."

Ferb's eyes flicked to his desk where he hid the blueprint. _Phineas must've seen it. Did he just accidentally put all of his loved ones in danger because of his negligence?_ He started breathing heavily.

"Scared huh? You should be." Phineas spat out. "You guys are really making it hard to stay lenient. I was expecting you to help me out Ferb! I specifically didn't dig up your skeletons for this reason. Least you could do is be grateful."

 _Skeletons? Is that what they intended to use on them?_ _Their guilt?_ Ferb grunted to express abhorrence. That was unlawful and completely out of the line. They're willing to toss out the deep bond their gang formed from childhood like it was nothing!

He has been quiet and collected his entire life. Compliant and went with the flow but right at this moment, there were a million things he wanted to say—scream at the top of his lungs. He wanted to break something and express his anger without restraint, but it seemed as if the universe knew beforehand how catastrophic that would be and decided to intervene.

"Believe me, we don't want to resort to cruel methods just to get all of you to join us in the afterlife. You're the other half of my brain, Ferb. We wouldn't have the need to break all of you if only you'd help us." Phineas explained. "Aren't you tired of being in pain all the time? Aren't you tired of living in an unforgiving and selfish world?"

"I've been with you for the past twelve years. I can tell just from looking at your eyes that you're skeptical. I would be too if our roles are switched! But you see, comprehending our reasoning is just something the human brain could never do. So as your brother, I'm asking you to trust us. We just want what's best for everyone."

Ferb exhaled a sharp breath as he forced his body to move again. _Yeah, like he'd believe him._ Phineas' face wrinkled into exasperation.

"Would you stop being so **difficult**!" Phineas bellowed.

A crack of red light lit up the entire room for a split second and revealed multiple demon-like entities all scattered around. One of them even got comfortable and perched right on top of his chest, impeding his breath intake. Well, at least now Ferb has an answer for that crushing weight he felt.

"You're pretty damn lucky that I'm such a patient guy because if I wasn't, you'd be dead by now," Phineas said through gritted teeth. "With you immobilized and hallucinating, I could easily kill you and you wouldn't even know it!"

Phineas' enraged expressions dissolved as a sudden realization hit him. "That's it." He laughed. "It's easier to warp someone's reality when they're in a vulnerable state. Good thing sleep paralysis comes with hallucinations, huh?"

Ferb's heart once again drummed rapidly in his chest. _What was Phineas planning? Is he going to kill him? What's going to happen?_ If he could, he would've stopped the tears that leaked out of his eyes and disparaged his dignity. _He didn't want it to end like this. There's still so much more he wanted to do before surrendering to eternal rest._

"Relax, I'm not going to kill you." Phineas bridged the final distance between them. "I'm just going to show you something."

Phineas reached and put his ice-cold hand on Ferb's forehead. Ferb's body involuntarily jolted and all of his limbs immediately twisted inwards. Everything was going dark quickly but before it completely engulfed him, he heard Phineas laugh to himself.

"This should set you straight."

* * *

**Time: ?/ Date: ?/ Place: ?**

There was so much blood.

On the floor and all over himself. There were blood splatters on both his sleeves, pants, and he was pretty sure he had it on his face as well.

There were two people lying face down in front of him, both covered in their own pool of blood. The sight and the thought of how these two people fell victim to the hands of something evil made Ferb's stomach turn.

He crouched down, stretched his left hand forward and let it rest on the back of the person closest to him. _Should he flip them over?_ Something inside him didn't feel comfortable doing that. It felt wrong. These people suffered enough already. The least they deserve is to be left alone in peace.

But these innocent people deserve justice, don't they? He needed to identify them in order to help them. Ferb took a deep breath and then turned the person over.

If it wasn't for the sudden tidal wave of absolute devastation drowning him, he would've screamed. That raven hair. That pink blouse. Ferb recoiled and lost his balance. He made an attempt to crawl back but his weakened arms wouldn't allow the requested action.

_Isabella._

Through hyperventilating lungs and shaky hands, Ferb went to the person next to Isabella. By that person's build and clothing, he could already tell who it was but he wanted to be wrong. Never had he ever wanted to be so wrong in his entire life.

Quietly praying it wouldn't be the person he was expecting, he gently grabbed the person's shoulder and flipped him over. _Good lord._ Ferb let out a sob.

_Buford._

Ferb sprang back up and swiped away at his tears with a bloodied hand. _Somebody murdered them._

Ferb shut his eyes in anguish. The morbid deaths of his friends tore him apart, filled him with rage and grief he's never experienced before.

_Thirty-four._

Thirty-four stab wounds in total. On their necks, chests, torso—pretty much everywhere. Buford seemed to have suffered the worst out of the two of them. With his mangled neck and dislocated arms, he looked as if he tried to put up a fight and protected Isabella the best he could from their attacker.

And poor, sweet Isabella. Fresh tears still clung to her eyelashes and blood continued to trickle down from her mouth. Ferb kneeled down beside Isabella and thumbed away the stream of blood off her lips. His fingers gently travelled up to her face, brushed a few strands of hair away, then scooped her up in his arms.

She looked so pale and fragile. A porcelain doll shattered beyond repair. Ferb held Isabella as tightly as he could, her lack of body heat serving as a reminder that now he had lost her and Buford too.

Ferb thought he had already gone through his worst fear the day Phineas and his friend Baljeet died, but he didn't know he had cultivated a new one by reliving it again. This time, however, there was no one else left but him.

All of them were gone forever.

He should probably hide. The one who murdered his friends might still be out there, hunting him down. The place resembled that of a warehouse, it provided a plethora of spaces he could crawl into and hide. And what, just to survive without Buford and Isabella? Is it even worth living without them?

"Absolutely wicked, right?"

Ferb turned to his left and saw Phineas and Baljeet standing and snickering to each other over Phineas' pun. Ferb suddenly had a strong feeling that they both had something to do with what happened. He knew he should be angry, but the pain he felt had been too debilitating that all he could manage to give them was a dolorous look.

"What have you done?" There was an edge to Ferb's voice.

"No, Ferb. What have _you_ done?" Phineas smirked, pointing to a bloody screwdriver discarded on the floor.

Ferb's eyes widened. _The screwdriver his father got him as a gift when he turned eleven._ His grip on Isabella slowly loosened as he held up his bloody palms up to his face. He had no recollection of what happened, but there were injuries, suggesting friction from the rubber of his screwdriver's handle and bruises that indicated he got rough with somebody.

He turned to Buford, his eyes stinging with tears. _Oh my god. He didn't… Did he? There was absolutely no way he could've…_ His eyes fell on Isabella. _He could never hurt her. Hell, he would take a bullet for her!_ The very thought of Isabella cowering away in fear from him made Ferb repulse himself.

Meanwhile, Phineas seemed to be enjoying watching Ferb crumble into pieces. "I did warn you, didn't I? I said that you will join us whether you liked it or not. It could be done by your hands however you like or we could step in and help out."

"Totally your guys' call whether you like to go by your own means. Of course, if we get impatient, we'll eventually have to take over. This," Baljeet made circling gestures over the bodies of Buford and Isabella. "This is just one of our approaches. We have more up our sleeves than just possessing you and making you go haywire."

"Come on, you're the only one left. Hurry up and choose or we'll have to finish the job for you too." Phineas grabbed the screwdriver and tossed it to Ferb.

Ferb stared at the screwdriver rolling towards him.

"The rest of the gang is waiting for you man. Hurry up! Buford and Isabella are getting lonely up there." Baljeet encouraged.

Ferb carefully laid Isabella on the ground and picked up the screwdriver from the floor. _Should he? What about his parents and Candace?_ The screwdriver in Ferb's hand trembled as all the voices in his head argued and overlapped each other.

Before he could even come to a decision, Phineas yanked the screwdriver off Ferb's hand.

"I hope this helped show the extent we're willing to go just to get you and the others to join us Ferb," Phineas said then he snapped his fingers. Ferb immediately felt himself give out and topple over as darkness once again pulled at him and consumed him entirely.

* * *

Ferb's eyes snapped open. He felt residual tears roll down his cheeks as he tried to stabilize his breathing. He was back in his room, paralyzed with Phineas standing by his right side. _Oh, thank god. None of that was real._ What in the world was all of that?

"I hope I didn't go too intense on that visual." Phineas laughed. "But I'm afraid that's what would eventually happen if you continue being defiant."

Ferb emitted soft guttural noises as a result of him trying to get his body stir, this time he got his fingers to flinch. Smiling inwardly, he tried his legs next.

Phineas immediately noticed the tiny movement. "Ah. Looks like your body's waking up. Guess I'll just have to see you again sometime."

He was only able to get his extremities to move but that was more than enough for him. It wasn't long until Ferb finally felt the familiar rush of being awake coursing through his bones. _Thank god. Being under paralysis felt like a lifetime._

"Oh, and Ferb? I advise you to always keep in mind what you saw tonight. I hope that helps you make a decision on how you three want to join us." Phineas laughed and then he disappeared back into a dark corner.

Ferb regained feeling in his limbs again. He raised an arm to make sure he could move again. Satisfied by the confirmation of no longer being under a sleep phenomenon, he rested an arm on his forehead.

He laid on his bed for a few minutes, the warehouse and the image of his murdered friends flashing in his mind. He couldn't believe that it was all a trick Phineas used to mess with him. It all just felt so real, especially when he held Isabella's lifeless body.

What if that wasn't a trick? What if that was an actual vision of their future? He would rather kill himself than even think for a second about hurting Buford, especially Isabella.

_Damn it._

_That clever little fox._ If Phineas' intention was to get in his head, then he has succeeded in doing so. _So that's how he's going to play it. He'll use these mental games to push him over the edge._ Ferb ran a hand through his hair. He guessed that Phineas really meant it when he said they were going to join them in the afterlife. _Does Phineas think he's showing mercy by giving them a choice?_ Ferb scoffed.

Surely there was still something he could do to stop that. His eyes darted over to his desk.

 _Of course. He can't screw this invention up. Once it is set in motion, Phineas and Baljeet will know for sure. And if it failed on its first attempt, they may be no longer alive to try and go for a second one. Their lives literally depended on how perfect he can build this time machine._ A sigh escaped Ferb's lips. The pressure dumped on the seventeen-year-old Brit exceeded the limit kids his age should only be allowed to handle.

He sat upright on his bed, rubbed circular motions on his forehead, and stared at the blueprint lying on his desk. After going through what Phineas had just put him through tonight, going back to sleep was impossible. Well, he had nothing else to do.

He might as well start working on the machine now.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been away. Just been busy arranging birthday parties for my friends and family members and getting them gifts. (yeah, it's a birthday week). I've been going back and forth to dollar stores and DIY-ing a TON of stuff for their parties and I only get to write during my 2 hours of break. It sucks because I'm forced to write only little bits of this chapter every day than my usual routine. To top all of that, I'm expected to plan my own birthday as well, which will be early next week. The pressure's high cause this specific birthday is a rite of passage in our culture and my judgemental relatives will nitpick anything, and I mean ANYTHING they could find slightly wrong just to demean us. Good thing all they'll get to have are pictures because COVID wouldn't allow me to invite a massive crowd. Also, because I'm incredibly shy and hate being the center of attention, especially to big crowds. Yeah, it has been stressful. :|
> 
> Anyways, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this story so far! We're nearing the dark and crazy bit O_O I don't wanna give away too much but, before/as we enter chapters twenty to thirty, don't expect them to still be complete. Oooh, what do I mean by that? Am I referring to their mental state or number? Dark times are just around the bend.
> 
> Lots of love! I'll see you guys soon. :)
> 
> P.S.
> 
> I just wanna clear up confusion if there's any. Isabella and Buford didn't die in this chapter! That was an induced hallucination used by Phineas as an attempt to scare/wear his brother out into resigning from the Time Travel plan. :P


	14. Dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe this time it'll work. Finger-crossed! Hey guys, if you're seeing this then that means our wifi's finally working! I tried to upload this for the last few days but I don't think it's working cause I can't really see it on my chapter miscellany :(

The muffled sound of her phone ringing underneath her pillow cut Isabella's peaceful slumber short. Instinctively, her hand slid under and fished for the wretched thing that woke her up, but being too overcome with exhaustion, Isabella's grip on her phone loosened and she fell right back to sleep.

She laid there for a whole minute before springing back to consciousness when her phone continued ringing. This time, a piercing sound cutting through the quiet atmosphere of her bedroom, forcing her back to alertness.

She groaned drowsily in surrender and brought the phone up to her face, squinting as she tried to figure out who's calling her at this hour. Once she saw Ferb's caller ID, her brain automatically jumpstarted and braced itself to receive any potential bad news or mental breakdowns from him.

"Sorry to wake you."

Isabella felt her anxiety subside when she didn't hear any signs of distress nor paranoia in his voice. Only now registering the hint of glee in Ferb's tone, Isabella frowned and started to feel slightly ticked off. _Then what did Ferb wake her up for?_

He's lucky that she associated that soft British accent of his with comfort and safety, otherwise her blood pressure would've just elevated hearing him say that phrase.

"Fletcher, you couldn't have picked a worse time to test my kindness. You better have a good reason for waking me up at…" She heaved her head up to check her digital clock on her nightstand. "At freakin' 5 in the morning."

She could hear him wince apologetically on the other end. "I know and I'm sorry, but I have some good news."

"And what is this news that couldn't wait until after 9 AM?"

Hearing Ferb laugh lightly quelled the annoyance she felt for having her sleep disturbed. She propped herself up higher with her pillows and tied her hair away from her face.

"It's quite hard to explain since it's still in its earliest form, but I think I figured out a way how we can stop Phineas and Baljeet."

Isabella paused. _Did she hear Ferb correctly?_ "Wait, I'm sorry, say that again?"

"We can still stop them and quite possibly reverse everything, but I'm going to need all the help I can get," Ferb responded. "I know all of this sounds crazy, but I'll explain everything later. Can you and Buford come to our house at the usual time?"

 _Stop them?_ By now, Isabella was fully awake and sitting up straight on her bed. Stop them, like… _actually_ stop them? This information was taking its sweet time to sink in her head. And, what did he mean reverse everything? She noticed that she still hasn't given Ferb a response when he cleared his throat when the silence stretched on for too long.

"Uh… Yeah, sure. Do you want me to call Buford to let him know?"

"That won't be necessary."

"You already called him?"

"Yes."

"Let me guess. He was just as pleased as I was about being woken up this early huh?"

"Even more so."

Isabella giggled. Attempting to communicate with a tired person, especially with someone like Buford who actually needs sleep, must've been excruciating. The guy works after school and has recently been afflicted with constant migraines, for crying out loud. Isabella could only imagine how _well_ that went.

"I'll let you get back to sleep. I'll see you later?"

"I'll see you later, Ferb." And with that, Isabella hung up her phone.

Well, she guessed her plans to run a couple of errands this weekend would just need to be rescheduled. She fell back on her mattress, tears and a smile forming on her face. _Oh my god. Oh my god! They still had hope! Maybe they still get to live and grow old after all._

Growing up, the Flynn Fletcher boys have never failed to astound her with their wide-ranged intelligence as exhibited through their inventions, but she has never appreciated it _this_ much before. The fighting chance unearthed by Ferb was like a thin stream of light suffusing a dark room. A glimmer of hope, dawning on them like the first few rays of sunshine after a stormy night.

She didn't know what Ferb had been planning yet, but she was already confident that it'd work. After all, he's the only one who has proper knowledge and expertise in machinery.

But they had one problem.

Ferb used to have a partner in building. Someone who orchestrated all of their crazy inventions and someone who knew him like they knew their own mind—from the most subtle gesticulation all the way to how his mind works.

Isabella's anxiety returned when the possibility of Phineas coming up with a better idea than them crept up inside her head. _What if he already knows about Ferb's plan? What will he do to them? What now then?_

"Get a hold of yourself, Isabella." She whispered to herself. She needs to have faith in Ferb. She doesn't know what he has concocted yet. It wasn't fair that she's letting her anxiety deem it incapable of getting them out of their situation.

Still, Isabella couldn't help but wish that whatever Ferb had been planning would be enough to outsmart Phineas and Baljeet.

* * *

"Careful, it's hot," Candace warned as she handed Stacy one of the mugs of hot chocolate she's holding before joining her on their couch.

"Thank you!" Stacy took the mug into her hands. "So, how are you feeling today Candace?"

"Better than yesterday, thanks," Candace replied.

"Did you do what I advised you to do?"

"Yeah, I informed my law school this morning that I'm taking a year off."

"That's good to hear, but you know that's not the one I'm referring to."

Candace took a sip from her mug, hoping to delay from answering Stacy's question. It was only then when Candace knew her lack of response had been an answer in of itself when Stacy exhaled in disappointment.

"Candace," Stacy sighed as she ran her thumb and index finger on both her eyebrows.

"I know, I know. I'm just trying to find the right moment to apologize." Candace tried to reason out but Stacy shook her head slowly.

"We talked about this. You can't just postpone taking responsibility for your actions just because it makes you uncomfortable. Both of us agree that what you said to Ferb awhile ago was extremely wrong and uncalled for. I mean blaming _and_ wishing death upon the one who survived? What effect do you think that had on him?"

Candace's gaze dropped to their carpeted floor. The memory of that night made her wince. Her hands balled up into fists against their wooden table, her face red hot with anger and Ferb visibly falling apart with every word she spewed out.

_I lost my biological brother to you, Ferb. I hope that's engraved in your conscience forever._

_I wish it had been you instead of Phineas._

She remembered how bad her fingers were shaking from all the intense emotions she just experienced when she was dialling Jeremy's phone number after the fight. She knew there was a chance Jeremy might not answer her calls due to his time being completely taken up by his studies, but she tried anyway. She just needed to hear his voice. She knew it was the only thing that could ground her back to reality.

When she kept getting redirected to his voicemail, she turned to Stacy. And boy, she wasn't happy with her when she found out what happened.

She only realized the weight of what she did when Stacy went on screaming about how heartless and inhumane she was to tell her brother—who chances are, is suffering from survivor's guilt—that she wished he had been the one to die instead of Phineas.

Candace's inability to control herself that night still haunts her sleep up to this day. She still wakes up shaking from nightmares about losing her only brother left because of her. Stacy being a psychology student has been a godsend to her for the previous months.

Stacy didn't only console her grief and anxieties. She also told her everything she needed to hear without sugar-coating it. She called Candace out on her behaviour and helped her get back on her feet little by little.

Jeremy made up for his lack of physical support by giving up his sleep—his only free time—just to listen and comfort his girlfriend. He even offered to take some time off from his studies just so he can be there for her, but Candace did not allow him to do that even though he persisted in doing so.

And so, Stacy had been the rock that she leaned on for the past few months. She wasn't proud to admit it, but she knew that now, she depended on Stacy to direct every next move for her since she'd lost trust in herself after that night.

"I know. It's just… I shut down every time I see him. I know that's guilt working its gears in my body, but I'm trying. I really am. I really want to reconnect with him again but what if he doesn't want to forgive me? I wouldn't even be surprised if he hates me now and wants nothing to do with me."

Stacy's expression softened. "Oh, Candace… I completely understand. But in order for you to heal, you need to go back and mend everything that's been torn apart. We already went through accepting Phineas' death as an accident—"

"It took me so long to do that though." Candace interrupted.

"And you rock for letting yourself take your time to process such a tragedy. I am really proud of you for doing that!" Stacy said, tilting her head to meet Candace's eyes while placing a hand on her shoulder. "Now we just need to repair your relationship with Ferb and you can bet that I'll be here to help you every step of the way."

Candace finally looked up to smile at her friend. "You will honestly make the best psychologist in your field someday."

"Ah, I give half the credit to my textbooks and the other to our sisterhood." Stacy winked, laughing at her own remark. "By the way, is Jeremy still calling you every night?"

At the sound of her boyfriend's name, Candace's eyes lit up and a small smile began to creep up her lips. She was about to answer when their doorbell interrupted her.

"He does! He's honestly the sweetest Stace. I'll tell you all about it, but let me just get the door real quick." Candace said excitedly before running to their door.

Brows furrowed in confusion gradually replaced her smile when she opened their door and saw Isabella and Buford standing at their doorstep.

"Good morning Candace! Is Ferb here?" Isabella greeted cheerfully.

"Yeah… Yeah, I think he's in his room. Come on in." Candace replied as she ushered the two in.

"By the way, Buford and I stopped by the café shop earlier and we got you blueberry muffin!" Isabella beamed, handing Candace the paper bag containing the said muffin.

"Oh, thanks guys. Why did you two come to our front door? You know you could've just snuck in the back like you used to." Candace said, peering inside the paper bag.

"We just realized that it's our first time back here. Something about 'sneaking back in' sounds kinda illegal." Buford answered in a light tone.

"Yeah. But you know us, we'll probably be back to our antics soon." Isabella laughed. "Well, we won't keep you any longer. See you later Candace!"

Candace watched as the two teenagers climbed their stairs and disappeared into the hallway. Still clutching the paper bag, she returned to their couch where Stacy was sitting.

"Aw, they didn't get me anything." Stacy pouted playfully.

"Wanna share?" Candace asked.

Stacy snatching the bag from her and digging her hand in to take out the muffin had been her answer. Candace laughed as she watched Stacy methodically try to split the muffin as evenly as she could. _Oh, they were definitely sisters in another life._

"Now, where were we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked some Candace content! I promised that I'll give her a redemption arc, didn't I? She'll definitely have an important part in this story in the future. I promise you that this isn't the last time you'll see her. ;)
> 
> Anyway, thank you guys for being patient! Along with my laptop refusing to work with me, I was also having a hard time concentrating. Heh, quarantine brain fog I guess.
> 
> So uh, leave a review if you can and I'll get the next chapter up as quick as I can. I'll see you guys soon. :)


	15. Honest Camaraderie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh! I hope you guys don’t hate me for taking so long to update! School’s really just been kicking my butt lately (I’m looking at you Advanced Functions). It’s been so stressful that I can only write a paragraph or two (three if I’m lucky) every day! I’ve seen everyone’s messages and I felt really bad that I couldn’t get to anyone sooner without dropping this chapter altogether. :((

Who knew this telephone booth he kept all these years would be of great use one day?

Ferb took a step back and took in the sight before him. The whole place looked as if it had been infested by snakes with all these wires everywhere. Some were hanging on the walls of the booth, some were on his bed, but most of it were scattered on the floor keeping the detached roof of his telephone booth company. Ferb frowned. Being disorganized wasn’t a trait people typically associated him with but given their case, he couldn’t really be bothered to delay their progress by cleaning up.

The knocking on his door snatched his attention away from the mess in front of him. He went on to answer the door and greeted Isabella and Buford with a smile, only for that smile to fall when Buford immediately whacked him in the head.

“Bloody hell, Buford. What was that for?” Ferb grumbled, rubbing the spot Buford struck.

“For waking me up early. I wasn’t able to get right back to sleep after that you know.” Buford replied as he and Isabella let themselves inside Ferb’s room. 

“Woah, what happened here?” Isabella asked. 

At Isabella’s observation, Ferb immediately jumped to pick up any wire that may potentially cause a tripping hazard for them. “I apologize for my room’s current state. I kind of got carried away and forgot to tidy up.”

“Don’t worry about it man. My room is much more of a mess than yours and y’all have seen it.” Buford laughed, brushing off the wires on Ferb’s bed before sitting down on it. “So, care to explain what the hell’s going on?” 

“Oh, yes. So just like I said, I finally figured out a way to stop Phineas and Baljeet. I actually started building it instead of sleeping last night. ” Ferb replied,  the bags under his eyes further emphasizing his point.

“Whatcha plannin’?” Isabella asked.

“I haven’t fully ironed out the few flaws that come with masterminding such machinery, but I’m thinking  _ time travel _ .”

Shortly after Ferb’s reply, a resounding silence filled the entire room. It didn’t take long for the information to  completely register in Buford and Isabella’s heads, but it still felt like a slap to the both of them.

“Of course!” Buford muttered in realization.

Isabella facepalmed. “Why didn’t we think of that before?”

“My theory? They knew what we were capable of, so they had to impair us. The grief that came from their deaths was their trap, and we all blindly fell right into it. The more emotionally broken we are, the easier it is for them to manipulate the situation.” Ferb answered.

“Wait, but I don’t understand.” Isabella shook her head. “There must be some kind of threat that Buford and I don’t know about. I don't remember Phineas saying they'll kill us directly. Didn't they say they’d only drive us to our breaking points? If they do succeed, can’t we just tell people so they can check us into a psych ward to prevent us from harming ourselves? I mean, you’ve got to have known about that already, Ferb. You wouldn’t just build a time machine out of nowhere.”

“Yeah… what she said.” Buford agreed. “Is there something else we should know about Fletcher?” 

“Okay,” Ferb exhaled. “Initially I wasn’t really sure about this plan but after last night… I know I just have to. Our lives  _ literally _ depend on this.”

The way Ferb said the last sentence made Isabella anxious. “Our lives? What do you mean by that?” 

“Phineas visited last night. He found out about the time machine plan and didn't like that I was going against him instead of helping him. So, he showed me something." Ferb paused and took a breath before continuing. "It could've been just his way of scaring me away from the plan but it felt real. It felt awfully real."

Ferb’s uneasy tone piqued Buford’s full attention. “Ferb. What  _ exactly _ did he show you?”

Ferb inhaled hesitantly and fell silent for a few seconds. The internal turmoil in his head manifested into his physical body by the way he bit his lip and curled his hands. Isabella quickly caught on these fearful gestures. That combined with this new silence worried her.

Because this silence was different.

In all her years of being constantly around Ferb, she couldn’t recognize this one. This was ambiguous and apocalyptic. And that genuinely scared Isabella. Because if Ferb—the strongest and the most matured member in their group—was scared of something, she knew that something serious was  _ actually _ out to get them. 

After the longest, most anxiety-filled minute, Ferb finally spoke. 

“It was you two. On the ground, brutally murdered with a total thirty-four stab wounds.” Ferb hesitated to add the one detail that still made his stomach turn.

_ The murder weapon? The screwdriver his father got him for his eleventh birthday. The screwdriver Isabella and Buford used to see him use whenever they were building as kids.  _

The silence that followed after was deafening.

“What the f—” Buford exclaimed. “Wait, WHAT?”

“Murdered by who?!” Isabella exclaimed.

Ferb’s gaze dropped to the ground as he rubbed the nape of his neck. 

“Ferb… who murdered us?” Isabella tried one more time. Tears pricked her eyes when Ferb’s refusal to take his eyes off the ground confirmed her suspicion. 

“Oh my god… Oh my GOD! Ferb?” Isabella’s survival instincts made her feet involuntarily inch back a few steps. “Why…? Why?!” 

“I would never do anything to hurt you, Bella. I’d never hurt any of you. But they said if we continue to go against them they’d speed up the process by having one of us taken over and…” Ferb couldn’t even finish his sentence.

“How… shit!” Buford hissed. “How sure are you that this will happen in the future?” Buford asked, his voice breaking in desperation. 

“Remember a couple of months back, when we were all at Isabella’s house?” Ferb began. 

Isabella immediately recalled the memory. “Yeah, I remember you pretty much slept the entire time. Why?” 

“I had an out of body experience and was able to have a peek a couple of months ahead into the future. I saw us dead. All three of us. So I’m not sure if it’s me Phineas and Baljeet are targeting to possess because it could be any of us.” Ferb replied.

“What makes you believe that that is our future?” Buford asked.

“This is how.” Ferb raised his left hand in front of them, showing the large scar that ran across his palm. “I didn’t have this before when we went to Isabella’s house.” 

Isabella remembered how she asked how Ferb got that wound many times months ago only to be given a vague response. 

“I got it while I was still in the astral realm. I’m not entirely sure how, but somehow this wound got translated into the physical world.” Ferb answered. “And Phineas was also there momentarily. He told me something cryptic and I only deciphered what it meant after what happened last night.” 

“What was it?” Isabella asked. 

“He told me not to worry because he made everything work out in the end. That's why we need to build this time machine immediately before it’s too late.”

“What exactly are you planning with a time machine, Ferb? Are we… Are we bringing them back to life?” Buford asked, running a hand through his hair. 

Ferb nodded. “Yes. If we could somehow travel back in time and prevent the accident from happening, then everyone lives. But I’m going to need both of your help—that is if you two so wish to.” 

Isabella and Buford turned to each other and nodded. “Are you kidding me? You don’t even have to ask.” Isabella said.

“We’re the only ones left and you think I’m not gonna stick around to help? No offence Ferb but, I thought you were smarter than that.” Buford added to which Ferb chuckled meekly. “But all kidding aside, I mean it. I swear on my life, I won’t let anything happen to you two.” 

“Aw!” Isabella cooed. 

“That was very sentimental coming from Buford Van Stomm,” Ferb commented.

“Oh shut up man.”

Ferb and Isabella couldn’t help but crack up. In the midst of their merriment, Ferb noted that if this was like any of those books he’s read, then this would be the point where the main characters are filled with hope that they can overcome that which obstructs their path. Of course, every book has the same structure. He just has to figure out what genre of literature they're in. 

But whatever genre they do find themselves in, Ferb knows that they have a strong fighting chance as long as the three of them stay together. After all, the camaraderie in their friendship has never been lost to anything before.

It’s always been honest. 

**_"You guys remember Oliver Montgomery? That was such a tragedy, wasn't it? Baljeet and I learned the truth about what really caused his suicide—or rather, who pushed him to do it, Buford." Phineas said with a knowing look._ **

Absolutely no secrets hidden from each other. 

**_Baljeet looked at Isabella next. "And what or who really drove Sofía Garcia to insanity."_ **

Ferb knew Buford and Isabella like he knew the back of his hand, and he’s grateful that he can work with them with what may be their most ambitious project ever.

Because with something as daunting as this, you would choose people who you knew deeply enough to trust your life with, right? 

* * *

“So Buford, how’s your head? Are migraines still bothering you?” Isabella asked as the three browsed around their town’s local parts and mechanics shop to purchase items for their construction.

“Glad that you asked that,” Buford replied, his hand rubbing his right temple out of habit. “It only happens every now then thanks to the painkiller Mrs. Hirano put me on. I only take it once every two days though since she said it’s a pretty strong drug. Here’s the crazy part.” Ferb and Isabella stopped surveying the shelves for a minute and turned to give him their full attention.

“Mrs. Hirano suggested that I see a specialist about my case. Something about her not being able to give me a diagnosis worried her. She said that all my symptoms were aligning with someone that has a bullet stuck in their head, which is crazy because I know I didn’t get shot at recently.”

Isabella couldn’t help but close her eyes as her brain tried to process the absurdity of what she just heard. “I’m sorry, are you telling me… Mrs. Hirano thinks you have a bullet in your head?”

“Yeah. Crazy huh?” Buford responded.

“Buford, you should get that checked,” Ferb said firmly. 

“I mean, the painkillers are doing fantastic at getting the job done and it’s not like Mrs. Hirano implied it being cancer…” Buford cringed as he saw Ferb and Isabella wince at his poor word choice. “And with my mom and I’s current financial status, seeing a specialist costs a lot—”

“If money’s the problem, I will lend you some!” Isabella interrupted. Ferb also nodded in agreement.

“No, seriously guys, it’s okay. For now, I’ll just wait and observe if it gets worse. Plus for all we know, this might've been just caused by stuff we’re dealing with right now,” Buford said in an attempt to reassure them but to him, it felt like he was more reassuring himself than the other way around.

“Well, if you’re ever worried about the financial aspect of everything, Ferb and I got you covered, okay?” Isabella said in a warm manner she only reserved for these types of situations.

Buford fought back the urge to smile uncontrollably. “Stop it, you guys are gonna make me emotional.” 

Isabella broke out in a grin as she and Ferb went back to the shelves. “I’m serious! I know you’d do the same if it was me in your situation.” 

“Of course. Both of my kidneys are already reserved for you both, so.” Buford laughed as he crouched down to the lower shelves.

“Boo!”

They all spun around upon hearing a feminine yet familiar voice from behind them. Ginger stood there carrying a receipt and a bag, smiling proudly at herself for successfully spooking the trio. 

“Hi! What are you guys doing here?” Ginger asked. 

“Oh you know, just shopping for a couple of things for our class,” Isabella answered.

“For Bio? In a parts and mechanics shop?” Ginger asked, visible confusion written all over her face.

“Uh, yeah…?” Isabella lied. “What about you? What are you doing here?”

“Same reason, actually! I picked up some screws and a nail gun for tomorrow’s school event. Listen, our class is hosting the annual Halloween party tomorrow at Cortland Centre, and I was wondering if I could invite you guys?” Ginger asked brightly.

“That sounds really lovely Ginger! But I’m afraid we’re all pretty much booked with our…” Isabella turned back to Ferb and Buford. “Uh, project.” 

“Please! We’re graded by how many people we can bring in tomorrow.” Ginger begged. “Minimum of one hour! And… And… I can get the rest of the former Fireside Girls to help out with anything you guys might need help with! School papers, raking leaves off of your yard, you name it!”

“Well…” Isabella scratched the back of her neck, looking back at Ferb and Buford again. 

“Please guys, please? We’ll have a  _ blast _ in there! Please?” Ginger pouted. 

“Sure. We’d love to.” Ferb replied for all of them. 

“Awesome! Tomorrow evening, 416 Cortland Centre at 8 pm. See you there!” And with that Ginger was off. She paused when she reached the exit and turned around to wave goodbye one more time, and then left the store. 

“You sure you wanna go Ferb? I could just call her and cancel so we can all work on the time machine.” Isabella suggested.

“No, it’s okay. We could definitely use more human power on this contraption. Plus she said we can only stay for an hour.” Ferb replied.

“Okay, if you say so.” Isabella then turned to Buford. “You sir were unusually quiet back there. If I didn’t know better, I’d say Ginger's presence made you nervous.”

Buford’s cheeks showed the slightest hint of red on them, but Isabella saw it without any difficulty. “Me? Quiet? Since when was I quiet? Yo, you know what? Maybe the compressors that we need are in another aisle. Let me just go check real quick.” 

That was the fastest they both saw someone flee a scene before. Isabella turned to Ferb with an amused look on her face. “Aw, would you look at that? I think there’s something our dear friend Buford isn’t telling us about Ginger.”

Ferb’s expression read  _ I think so too. _ Isabella laughed then they both proceeded to follow Buford to the aisle he disappeared off into. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I’m really sorry for taking so long. I hate to keep you guys waiting. It really makes me feel bad :// I’ll make sure to stay up a couple of hours every night to get the new chapter out to all of you as soon as possible. 
> 
> Please review, and as always, I’ll see you guys soon! :)


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